The True Nature Foundation has now granted rights to set up breeding herds in all the nature reserves of the Dutch municipality of Boxmer along the river Maas, which means a considerable expansion for the project. The Uruz Project now also has access to more Chianina from a large herd in the Netherlands.
One or two bulls of those Chianina will be put on their Watussi cows near Breda. The Watussi at Kloster Lorsch, Germany, is still not mature. Meanwhile the Chianina there will be inseminated with the semen of Lidia bulls. Lidia-Chianina is a interesting combination, and in my opinion could result in really nice individuals in the second or third generation. And Watussi will compensate the small horns.
To make it easer, crossbred embryos will produced and implanted to local cattle in their sites in Romania and the Ukraine. As far as I understand, this saves them the efforts of importing cattle there.
They will move the cattle in early spring, and Exmoor ponies will be introduced into the reserves as well. In Spain, the TNF also plans to build up pure Lidia herds and select them for the desired traits. I am really happy about that, I always considered that a good ideal - imagine a Lidia herd that regularly has the right colour with the right dimorphism and good, aurochs-like horns.
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| One of their Chianina cows |
UPDATE: It's not the Chianina at Kloster Lorsch that will be insemited by Lidia, but those in the Netherlands.
Looks like some reasons to be optimistic. :-)
ReplyDeleteinteresting project. Is insemination to save time, or is there another reason?
ReplyDeleteGeer
I think its simply easier, first of all it is not easy to get Lidia bulls exported (I was told), and you don't have to handle such a bull, and the Lidia semen seems to be merely a "place holder" for the Watussi bull anyway.
DeleteIt's an interessant projekt. Chianini is tall, Lidia bring the body, Watussi bring the horns. This might be funktionell. That Watussi is influenced by Zebu, dos'nt matter I think. It is only a little Watussi Influence needed for the great horns. And no one can create a Auerochs, we can only creat a animal that look like a auerochs.
ReplyDeleteWhen i look at the brothers Heck used Cattle races, i wonder that the heckcattle looks aucherochslike like they do.
So I'am looking forward to the next generations of Uruz Projekt.
If I had enough ressources of land an money :D i would do it myself. I'am o good breeder, ok i bred only birdraces and fishraces and i create new birdraces and fishraces. But if i had the chance to create cattle its just the same. Learn to keep them, learn the genetics and than do it.
Chianina would be one of my first races, because they are tall, have long legs and they are longsnouded. Lidia Bulls have the most auerochs like body, but they are small.
The next thing is, one can not cover a small cow with a big bull, the small cow cannot give a big calve birth. So the only way is to cover a small cow with a big bull, but sommetimes the can be to big. So Insemination is a good way. Even the produzing of embryos is a good way.
I'am no farmer but i worked at a farm, there was a cowherd ( Braunvieh) with an Limousane Bull.Sometimes the calve was to great, so the cow could not bear it.
Uruz Project - Portugal's key role in conservation of ancient cattle breeds:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.algarvewildlife.com/cons-projects-cattle.php
Hello
ReplyDeleteIs there any information available about the current state of the Uruz project? More importantly the looks of the chianina x lidia crosses? Cuz when I google the name the latest news is this blog.