Community bull

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The community bull or village bull was a breeding bull bought by the community in Germany . Until the year 2000 the municipality was legally obliged to keep a male breeding animal. Due to the increasing spread of artificial insemination , however, these were used less and less by farmers, so that from the 1970s onwards, many municipalities no longer fulfilled this obligation due to voluntary agreements with farmers. Some communities continue this tradition today (2013), also on a voluntary basis.

The German legal dictionary contains sources from the 14th century on the concept of the village bull.

history

Breeding progress should be accelerated with community bulls, boars and rams. This was possible much faster with father animals, as they have more offspring than females. The keeping was mostly with individual farmers, who received compensation (for example the free use of the stud animal and / or a community meadow for free use). Occasionally, the keeping was organized as a cooperative and in some areas there were community-owned bullock stalls . The legal obligation of municipalities to sires was in most German regions, long before a licensing of the animals was prescribed. In the administrative district of Wiesbaden since 1829, in the Grand Duchy of Baden since 1837, in the Kingdom of Bavaria since 1888, in the Rhine Province since 1890 and in the Kingdoms of Württemberg and Prussia since 1897. In some areas, the community bull was decorated on Whitsun and was allowed to graze on the Whitsun meadow .

The practice of auctioning

In some areas, the community bull was also auctioned for a certain period of time. The record of such an auction at the end of the 19th century in the Moselle community of Lösnich in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district gives an insight into current practice. The requirements for the respective community animal were also specified in detail.

According to an order of the Royal Provincial Government of October 1863, a questionnaire regarding the maintenance of community animals was issued in the mayor's office in Zeltingen . The survey showed that in Lösnich the community animals were given to Verding on the basis of a municipal council resolution from June 1855. The number of cows in a licensed breeding bull was put at 131.

The conditions under which the “target bull” was awarded in Lösnich is described here, for example. The minutes of the auction on December 3, 1877, partly reproduced and commented on:

The Ansteigerer must provide a beautiful sight recognized by the office of Taurus the community, which is also well-fed at all times and fit for service must be.

In order to achieve this purpose, at least two members of the show office should be present when the bull is bought, without whose consent no one may be bought. Bulls you raise yourself also require the approval of the show office before starting work. If the bull is incapacitated, the climber has to pay the cost of livestock starving elsewhere himself. Should the bull have an accident so that it has to be abolished, the climber has to get another one within at least 3 weeks.

The start of the three-year service was scheduled for August 24, 1878 and should be extended by a further three years, unless notice was given half a year before the end of the first three years. The special consideration of the bull's expected daily performance and its so-called ability to serve appears remarkable .

The newcomer is not allowed to stare other cattle without the permission of the municipality. If the bull has jumped 3 to 4 cows on a day, the climber cannot be held responsible for the consequences if other cattle come to the bull on that day and the bull is unable to work. In addition, in all cases if the bull takes longer than half an hour to jump the cattle, the cattle should be recognized as incapacitated.

In the summer months, namely from April 3 to October 1, the climber has to let the bull out to the cattle three times a day, namely in the morning from 5 to 6 a.m., at noon from 12 to 1 a.m. and in the evening from 7 to 8 a.m. During the rest of the time, however, only twice, namely in the morning from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and in the evening from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m.

At the request of the livestock owner, the climber has to have each unhealthy head of cattle jump twice.

Every year the bull farmer has to submit a list of the bulled cattle to the headmaster before his payment can be transferred to the municipal treasury. In addition, the climber receives four meadows for use by the municipality, so that he has to use the entire meadows for three years in the 3 years . The increase price is given annually on the list of gestated cattle drawn up by the competitor.

The newcomer has to provide a surety in solidarity for all conditions. The municipality reserves the right to choose from among the last three bidders.

Bull keeper became a Lösnich winemaker with his guarantor for an annual amount of 228 marks. Confirmation was given by the headmaster .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Newspaper report on the purchase of a community bull
  2. ↑ State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology of Saxony: Animal Breeding Law through the Ages, Köllitsch Technical Discussion - Animal Breeding Law - quo vadis? on December 12, 2013, Landwirtschaft.sachsen.de (PDF)
  3. ↑ a b c Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz, inventory 123, No. 930