Identifying the last Mocanitza cattle of the Carpathians area
2010
Matiuti, M., University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine Banat, Timisoara (Romania) | Bungescu, S.T., University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine Banat, Timisoara (Romania)
Mocanitza is one of the cattle breeds raised since ancient times in the Carpathian Mountains. It is now endangered: in 2009, there were only 75 animals pure breed and halfbreeds. The animals we have identified correspond from the point of view of their breed description: they are 102-115 cm tall and they have a body weight of 237-380 kg. We have collected data concerning the breeding, production, reproduction, and nutrition of this breed. There has been no selection by authorities in the field these last 35 years: they only exchanged live animals between different areas of the Carpathian Mountains. For the time being, there is no programme for the protection of this breed which is likely to disappear the next years, though the breed is the best adapted to high areas of the Carpathians where the grassland are poor. Breeders of Mocanitza are old people with low material possibilities and who continue to breed it because of sentimental reasons. DNA testing is complicated since it has never been done so far and since it is difficult to tell pure breed from half-breed. Since the breed is represented by a small number of individuals, we can only think of an import of biological material from similar breeds in other countries.
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