Most examples of Tauros cattle from the Tauros Programme don't have that good horns. Mostly they face outwards too much and lack the inwards curve. This goes for cows as much as for bulls. However, today I was addressed to two photos of two Tauros bulls with comparably good horns from the Loozerheide, Netherlands.
Go here and here. The head of the first bull resembles some Taurus bulls quite closely. The second bull might have Maronesa ancestry but I could be wrong on that.
It's really good to see Tauros bulls with such nice horns, it makes me hope that future Tauros cattle will develop better horns than the current majority. However, I think the project still needs a breed that reliably and truly adds slenderness, long legs and large size. Maremmana alone probably will not do it.
One of the characteristics that make the heck cattle so unsatisfactory as an auroch look alike is their upright horns. Grey cattle in general and Maremmana in particular if used too much in the breeding process will produce the same results. Jim Pierce
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to see frayed ends to their horns like the Kouprey. Is there any cave painting evidence that this was normal for Auroch?
ReplyDeleteChianina could add both: forward/inward pointing horns and slender bodyshape.
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ReplyDeleteI really like the humps of these bulls. Sadly a rare trait in the back-breeding programs. And for me together with the hornshape one of the most impressive traits in aurochs.
ReplyDeleteKhouprey horns ? Didn't know it was possible.
ReplyDeleteThe horn tip just seems to be worn out.
DeleteFantastic Humps ... and this is a Trait typical of maremmana that, like Simon wrote, to me seems rare even than a good hornshape in all Back-breeding programs...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that, there are a number of Sayaguesa and also some Taurus bulls with good humps. The "hump champion" is still Lidia in my opinion.
DeleteEven Chianina can have a great hump. Just look at stock photos for the breed.
DeleteSayaguesa mostly has a s-shaped backline but rarely higher shoulders than the hips. Lidia shows this trait very beautiful.
DeleteI agree that Lidia is overall better than sayaguesa but is Lidia a viable alternative? I think not. So is there anything better than saysguesa? If so, I am not aware.
DeleteWith sayaguesa being the best overall, we must agree that the current Grob Rohrheim lineup is the most exciting of all the projects. Alvarez is a beautiful bull with perhaps the greatest potential ever with those ever developing horns. Is there any way to get a few more pure chianina heifers to join the herd this summer and fall?
I agree with you for what concerns Chianina. But why not to think about artificial insemination to enrich the biodiversity in back breeding programs? this, only for example, is an italian producer that has a chianina semen banck rich of bulls slender and of very large size.
Deletehttps://www.chiacchierini.it/tori-da-carne/toro-da-carne-razza-chianina/
I don't understand why A.I. is not so used in back breeding programs...it could be interesting for example to use longhorns cattle from USA...they sell semen to Europe..
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ReplyDeleteI am not opposed to A.I. but it is not helpful in the situation in Grob Rohrheim. We have the bull (Alvarez). We need more heifers to receive his sperm. I'm suggesting just to add a few more pure chianina hrifers to add this breeding season to not waste another year.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how much it would cost to get five more pure chianina heifers for Alvarez? I would be willing to donate.
ReplyDeleteGood to see both bulls have dark forelocks too.
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