Demographic study on the total Sura de Stepa breed population in Romania

The research was conducted from August until November 2012 in the districts of Moldavia (Botoºani, Suceava, Iasi, Vaslui, Bacau, Neamt, Galati and Vrancea), in the West and the Central part of the country (Cluj and Covasna districts) and in the South-East of the country (Tulcea and Braila districts). The choice of the districts was established based on the informations received from Animal Improvement and Breeding Offices in Romania. The purpose of this research was to identify the effective of Sura de stepa cattle breed in Romania and the evaluation of the phenotypic characters in steppe animals, which belong to the variety of Moldavian breed. The results showed that the Sura de stepa breed consists of a minor part, being raised in just two districts of Moldavia, Iasi and Neamt, respectively, as a pure breed with an average of 0,03 % (83 cows), at the Research and Development Station for Cattle Breeding (R.D.S.C.B.) Dancu-Iasi, with a core of preservation of 59 cows (0,19 %) and at the Holding TCE 3 Brazi Society, Neamt district, with a core of 24 cows (0,06 %), and under half-breed form with an average of 0,33 % (592 cows). In Harghita, Covasna and Cluj districts, 295 cows from the Sura de stepa breed, Hungarian variety, were identified, excepting being the animals belonging to University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj, which come from R.D.S.C.B. Dancu-Iasi, which are Romanian Sura de stepa, Moldavian variety. In Tulcea district, 20 cows of half-breed Sura de stepa and 50 cows of pure breed cattle, Moldavian variety, were identified, from which 24 cows at a private landlord in Pardina locality, Tulcea district, and 26 cows belonging to nine owners from different localities (C.A. Rosetti, Pardina, Chilia Veche, Sfantu Gheorghe, Crisan), each owning 2-3 cows. The analysis of the main body indices showed that the Sura de stepa cows from Pardina, Tulcea county, are of small size and weight, having smaller values in all analysed parameters, compared to the Sura de stepa cows from R.D.S.C.B. Dancu-Iasi from the North-East part of the country, which however fitted the specific limits of the breed, Moldavian variety.