Dahomey dwarf cattle

The Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich shows Dahomey dwarf cattle as an endangered breed of domestic animal

The Dahomey dwarf cattle are considered to be one of the smallest cattle breeds in the world. It is only around one meter tall and weighs no more than 300 kilograms. Since its economic importance is low, it is mainly kept as a lover breed.

origin

The dwarf breed came to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century when the Antwerp Zoo introduced it from West Africa. The population probably goes back to animals from the Belgian Congo , where these in turn came from Dahomey , today's Benin, in 1904 .

properties

The small cattle are solid black or gray. Almost all animals have white spots on the abdomen. The horns are bent forward. The Dahomey dwarf cattle are said to be frugal, fertile and have very good maternal qualities. The low milk yield is only enough to raise your own calf. Due to its low weight, the breed is well suited for landscape maintenance, where it hardly causes any damage.

attitude

The center of the breed is Germany with some surrounding countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Czech Republic) with about 50 owners. The Zootierliste are in 2020 19 zoos in Germany which hold the race, and 11 in these neighboring countries.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Valerie Porter u. a .: Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding. CABI, Wallingford 2016, ISBN 978-1-78064-794-4 , p. 162.
2. ↑ Breed description European Dahomey dwarf cattle of the European Dahomey dwarf cattle association ( PDF ). Retrieved March 27, 2020.
3. ↑ Dahomey-Zwergrind on Zootierliste.de. Retrieved March 27, 2020.