Ansbach-Triesdorfer
The Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rind, also called Triesdorfer Tiger , is an old Franconian domestic cattle . They are medium-sized, red-and-white piebald animals. The body is strong, the horns are usually set far outwards and backwards. Male animals weigh around 1,100 kilograms, cows around 700 kilograms. The cattle got its name after the location of the margravial economy (manor) in Triesdorf . The Triesdorfer Tiger was the first cattle in which a long-term breeding program tried to achieve the desired properties in a targeted manner. The Ansbach-Triesdorfers were a popular three-purpose breed in southern Germany in the middle of the 19th century , but are now on the Red List of Endangered Domestic Breeds. The experience gained in breeding the Triesdorf tiger flowed significantly into Simmental cattle breeding .
History of the breed
The history of the Ansbach-Triesdorf cattle is closely interwoven with the history of the House of Brandenburg-Ansbach , which maintained a summer residence in Triesdorf . Later, the state estate , which arose from the summer residence, played a key role in the breeding and development of the Triesdorf tiger.
First attempts with Dutch-Frisian cattle
The Ansbach margraves were on friendly terms with the Dutch royal house of Orange . The black and white Dutch-Frisian cattle there impressed Margrave Carl Wilhelm Friedrich so much because of their size and milk yield that in 1740 he had a total of 21 cows and bulls from Holland driven to Triesdorf for further purebred breeding on his farm. The animals were also for crossbreeding thought in the surrounding rural populations. In the next few years more cows and a breeding bull were bought and distributed to farmers in order to spread the breed in Franconia .
Up until this point in time, the Ansbach farmers kept cattle of the old angler cattle breed , small, robust cattle that were also used as draft animals . The black and white Dutch-Frisian cattle favored by the margrave was exactly the opposite of the red cattle; it was not adapted to the harsh climate and the poor fodder basis in Middle Franconia . The slender Dutch cows were only suitable to a limited extent for draft work, some of the animals had malpositions of the limbs and were then not at all suitable as draft animals. The lack of fat also made the animals unpopular: animal fat was needed for sebum extraction . The higher milk yield of the Dutch cows, on the other hand, was not at all wanted by the Franconian farmers, as there were no marketing opportunities due to a lack of cooling technology and fast transport for the milk.
For pure breeding , more animals would have had to be bought continuously in order to avoid inbreeding . Since the cattle had to be driven on foot in those days and crossed numerous customs borders in Germany, the import from Holland made great demands on the father of the country.
Crossing of Bernese piebalds
Despite this failure, the margraves stuck to their goal of improving cattle breeding in their domain. In the following 150 years they developed the first breeding program for cattle with clearly defined breeding goals on German soil.
Carl Wilhelm Friedrich's son, Carl Alexander , had his stable master Baron von Mardefeld buy black and white high cattle (Bernese piebalds) from western Switzerland and drive them to Triesdorf. These heavy animals were better suited for work and fattening than the Dutch breed. They were described as big-boned, well muscled, and with a moderate udder attachment. The cows weighed around 850 kg. The crossbreeding of the Swiss breed into the red cattle herds was so successful that in 1780 a further 24 cows and a bull from the Swiss cantons of Bern and Friborg were brought to Triesdorf. By purchasing Swiss cattle several times, Margrave Alexander changed what his father called “Holländerey” into a “Swiss”. Starting from Triesdorf, people in cattle farming have been called Swiss since then , a designation that has survived to this day, especially in the southern German dialect.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Triesdorf crossbred cattle could be seen on all cattle markets. They were not only found in Nuremberg and Mannheim , but also in Strasbourg and Paris , as their meat was considered fine-grained and tender. The margrave stable master Baron von Mardefeld had his two most beautiful crossbred cattle painted in oil around 1770. The paintings are still hanging in the Red Castle , the Triesdorf animal keeping school.
Triesdorf under Prussian administration
After Triesdorf came under Prussian rule in 1792 , dairy farming was leased. Due to repeated “cattle epidemics” ( enzootic leukosis of cattle ), the last time in 1800, the entire cattle population of the Triesdorf domain was lost. After a decision by the Prussian War and Domain Chamber, von Mardefeld was immediately sent to Switzerland to buy 17 Bernese piebald cows and a bull. Repeated outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease , cattle lung disease and poisoning by the autumn crocus represented a constant threat to the breeding work. Whenever a cattle disease became known from the area , the four Triesdorf gates were closed, and Triesdorf was closed completely by the Red Wall was enclosed, an epidemic hygiene that was very good for that time could be achieved.
Breeding under Bavarian administration
In 1806 Triesdorf became Bavarian and the Swiss lowland cattle were initially used again, and later Simmental cattle were also used . It was not until 1839, however, that the Triesdorf economy took over the dairy and cheese dairy under its own control and employed a master cheese maker from the Swiss canton of Unterwalden . By 1844, the number of cattle in the Triesdorf district cattle breeding facility increased to 132 animals (1 bull, 43 cows, 18 calves, 56 calves and 14 oxen). That year they produced 52,000 liters of milk (about 420 liters per cow), 399 pounds of butter and 253 loaves of cheese. The crossbreeding continued until 1890, so that finally nine breeds were combined in the Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle, namely:
- Franconian red cattle
- monochrome red cattle
- black and white friezes
- black and white Freiburgers
- yellow and white Simmental
- monochrome gray-brown Schweyzer
- monochrome gray-brown Allgäu
- Monochrome gray-yellow Mürzaler from Styria
- Red Holstein Breitenburger from Holstein.
The reason for this broad crossbreeding lay in August von Weckherlin's popular theory of constancy at the time , according to which it was assumed that desirable traits were obtained by crossing breeds that had these traits to a special degree. This assumption, incorrect from today's point of view, led to the fact that a uniform type could never develop - strictly scientifically it is therefore wrong to speak of the Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle as a breed. In addition, the small stain, which led to the colloquial name "Triesdorfer Tiger", was raised to the goal of breeding. In cattle, however, the small speckles are the clearest external feature of the high-grade heterozygosity , so it is an unstable crossbreeding - this is also clear in a breed description from 1900, in which the weight of the cows fluctuates between 400 and 700 kg. Oxen could weigh up to 900 kg, the milk yield of the cows was between 1700 and 2100 kg per year, depending on the workload. The fattening ability was described as very good.
Peak of spread and decline
The Triesdorf tigers reached their peak in the middle of the 19th century in the Franconian administrative districts, in the administrative district of Swabia and in northern Lower Bavaria . But as early as 1884 the Fleckvieh overtook the Triesdorfer Tiger in its Central Franconian homeland. The rapid rise was followed by a rapid fall: in 1896 around 190,000 Triesdorf tigers were still alive, in 1906 there were 90,000 specimens, in 1925 there were just 12 licensed bulls in the districts of Ansbach and Dinkelsbühl , a total of 2,500 animals were still alive. This rapid decline was also a result of the changed legal situation: The Bavarian licensing law of 1888 only recognized tabby specimens - but because of the heterozygosity there were also large-spotted animals and pure-colored brown animals, the majority of the sires suddenly dropped out. Furthermore, tabby specimens could also produce large-spotted or monochrome specimens, which led to a further decline in the recognized population. Since there were no sires, Simmental Simmental Fleckvieh bulls were often used on tiger cows.
Even more decisive for the rapid decline, however, was that the negative experiences with the Triesdorfer Tiger had been incorporated into Simmental breeding and there was a conscious move from the three-purpose to the two-purpose breed , i.e. the milk and meat production of the animals was given preference over the work performance , after the invention of the internal combustion engine and its entry into agriculture, it was the right decision in retrospect. Furthermore, the Simmental cattle were mainly bred by selection within the breed and crossbreeding was only carried out very rarely and in a controlled manner, which led to more stable animal material.
From 1919 onwards, the Ansbach-Triesdorfers were only bred by small farmers because the official stud bookkeeping was discontinued. Remnants remained in the Uffenheim and Leutershausen area , north of Ansbach and in the Altmühltal .
Current state
Breed characteristics
The animals are spotted and have a characteristic, dark muzzle . The color gradations of the fur vary from light yellow to dark red-brown, and the proportion of brown spots is also very variable. There are mostly white and mostly brown animals. The most striking distinction to the Fleckvieh is that the head is also spotted, while the Fleckvieh always has a white head, with a maximum of dark spots on the eyes or cheeks. Also in contrast to the Simmental cattle, the spotting at Ansbach-Triesdorfer has a smaller structure, which has earned it the nickname tiger. The claws of the Ansbach-Triesdorfers are very hard in comparison. In order to be able to walk on the classic Franconian field paths covered with reading stones without suffering claw damage, this characteristic was specially bred.
Compared to other older breeds such as Simmental, which as a dual-purpose breed was executed breeds on the meat and milk production, Triesdorfer Tiger, as well as that's Murnau-Werdenfels cattle , the Harz Red Cattle , the Frankish Limpurger or the Pinzgauer a three-purpose cattle for meat - and milk production and pulling work.
Breed description
The Central Documentation of Animal Genetic Resources in Germany (TGRDEU) documents the status of the breeding of livestock species kept in Germany on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) in accordance with the Animal Breeding Act (TierZG) . The following characteristics and properties are documented for Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle, which reflect the current state of breeding:
power
| use | Double use |
| Milk yield | 7000 kg / year |
| Milk protein | 3.5% |
| Milk fat | 4.0% |
| daily increases | 1200 g / day |
features
| Sacrum height | male 150-160 cm | female 145-150 cm |
| Weight | male 1,100 kg | female 700 kg |
| Horniness | horned | |
| colour | red and white piebald | |
| Mouth | dark | |
| particularities | strong foundation and dark, very hard claws | |
Endangerment status
In the Red List of the Society for the Conservation of Old and Endangered Pet Breeds (GEH) , the Triesdorf tiger is listed in Category I (extremely endangered) according to the status of 2019. In 2017, the herdbook in Germany consisted of eight bulls and 101 cows.
| IUCN Red List | Phenotypic maintenance population |
| Endangerment status of the EVT | critically endangered |
| FAO endangerment status | critical |
- ↑ International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
- ↑ European Association for Animal Production
- ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Inventory development
| year | female animals | male animals |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 35 | 2 |
| 1998 | 51 | 20th |
| 2000 | 25th | 1 |
| 2009 | 30th | 3 |
| 2010 | 65 | 5 |
In 2010 the population still consisted of 70 animals. Triesdorf tigers are therefore considered to be an extremely endangered domestic animal breed, and long-term preservation is questionable. The long-time director of the Triesdorf animal keeping school Horst von Zerboni expressed skepticism about the preservation, as many Ansbach-Triesdorfers now carry a foreign gene component and the breeding material resembles a “genetic conglomerate”.
The Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry therefore promotes the further breeding of Ansbach-Triesdorf cattle, but allows a foreign gene proportion of 12.5% in the animals supported. In the Triesdorf homeland, too, the Triesdorf tiger has meanwhile been adopted again: two suckler cows and offspring of the tiger breed are again kept in the agricultural schools there .
In 1992 the "Association for the Preservation of Ansbach-Triesdorfer Cattle eV" was founded, the Triesdorfer Tiger is further bred by farmers who are members of the association. The remaining stocks of Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle are currently being looked after in 12 cattle-keeping farms. The association now identifies 20 independent cooling lines, while in 1995 only eleven cooling lines were known.
literature
- Wilfried Ahrens: History of the agricultural education center Triesdorf. Lecture notes at the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences, Triesdorf department, course in agriculture, optional subject in agricultural history.
- Erich Beutner: The Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle, its ancestry, breed characteristics, performances, its breeding history and the current status of its breeding. In: Journal for Animal Breeding and Breeding Biology. Vol. 3, No. 1, 1925, ISSN 0179-9770 , pp. 1-124.
- Richard A. Herrmann: 10 years of the Association for the Preservation of Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rindes e. V. In: Ark Nova. 2/2002, ZDB -ID 286062-4 , p. 14f.
- Hans Hinrich Sambraus: Endangered farm animal breeds. Their breeding history, use and preservation. E. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-8001-4099-3 .
- J. Schmid: History of the Ansbach-Triesdorfer cattle strike. In: South German agricultural animal breeding. Vol. 9, No. 25, ZDB -ID 535303-8 , pp. 197-199.
- Horst von Zerboni: The Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rind or the Triesdorfer Tiger. In: Triesdorfer Chronik. Announcements from the Association of Former Triesdorfers. 2/2011, ZDB -ID 1258836-2 , pp. 78-79, online (PDF; 3.13 MB) .
Web links
- Information from the Society for the Conservation of Old and Endangered Pet Breeds (GEH)
- Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rind at the Bavarian State Agency for Agriculture
- Website of the Association for the Conservation of Ansbacher-Triesdorfer Cattle
- Central documentation of animal genetic resources in Germany
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Horst von Zerboni: The Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rind or the Triesdorfer Tiger. 2011.
- ↑ See also: Entry Switzerland in: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm : German dictionary . Leipzig 1854–1961.
- ↑ Distribution according to the website of the Association for the Preservation of Ansbach-Triesdorfer Cattle, accessed on May 1, 2012
- ↑ Stockklausner-Grub: The spread of the cattle blows in Bavaria - processed according to official documents. Map, Munich 1928.
- ↑ Information on Ansbach-Triesdorfer Rind on the TGRDEU website, accessed on May 1, 2012
- ↑ GEH red list , accessed on November 13, 2019
- ↑ Information from the GEH on its website , accessed on November 13, 2019
- ^ Status of breeding according to the website of the Association for the Preservation of Ansbach-Triesdorfer Cattle, accessed on May 1, 2012
- ^ Website of the Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forests , accessed on May 1, 2012