Tyrolean gray cattle

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Tyrolean gray cattle on the Verpeilalm in Kaunertal in Tyrol. Brown Swiss in the background

The Grauvieh (in English as "Tyrolean Gray" refers, in Italian "Razza Grigio Alpino Tirolese" ) is an indigenous breed of cattle in Austria . The Tyrolean gray cattle breed can be found in the entire Alpine region of Austria, most of the animals are in the western federal states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol, but also in Salzburg and Upper Austria .

The Tyrolean gray cattle are medium-sized, dual-purpose cattle . The animals are monochrome silver to iron gray, the head, neck and trunk are smoked. The dark muzzle is lined with light, the claws are black. The bulls are darker in color than the cows and the back is adorned with a light eel line. The calves of the breed have a birth weight of 34 to 45 kg. Tyrolean gray cattle reach a height at the withers of 129 to 139 cm and a weight of 550 to 650 kg. The height at the withers of the bulls is 140 to 150 cm, they usually weigh 900 to 1050 kg. The Tyrolean gray cattle are classified as a rare breed that is worth preserving. The breed is funded as part of the ÖPUL measure "Rare Livestock Breeds".

History and origin of the Tyrolean gray cattle

At the time of the Raetians, cattle with a silver-gray color and tall stature were kept in the western side valleys of Tyrol south of the Inn and in the upper Inntal ; the Roman writers Pliny and Strabo already reported the good milk yield of the small, gray Alpine cattle. The Alemanni, who settled there at the time of the Great Migration, brought large cattle into the country, and the native, Ligurian-Celtic cattle were mixed with the larger Alemanni animals.

Until well into the 20th century, due to the low exchange of animals between the valleys and the specific environmental influences, so-called racial types, which can often be more or less differentiated from other breed types. The first breed descriptions or descriptions of individual lofts can be found from the 1870s onwards. At that time, three fields were to be found in North Tyrol, they are considered the forerunners of the gray cattle: the Oberinntal cattle were mainly found in the Landeck district. The animals were gray-yellow in color and had a foxed forehead, the Oberinntal cattle were also the lightest of the blows.

There was also the heavier iron-gray Lechtaler Schlag as well as the Wipptaler beef with a roll-yellow to gray-yellow color. At the end of the 19th century, the beats of the separated duns height cattle in the breeds Brown Swiss and gray cattle , and several local strikes were then combined with the 1907th From the Lechtaler Schlag it is assumed that it passed into the Tyrolean Brown Swiss through displacement crossing. The Wipptaler Schlag, however, approached the Oberinntaler Schlag.

At that time there were 150,000 to 200,000 gray cattle available. At the end of the 19th century, gray cattle were not only present in southern Germany, eastern Austria and Styria, but also in other Austria-Hungary countries such as B. to be found in Bohemia, Moravia and Hungary. At this time a strong industrialization set in in Central Europe and with it the emergence of new economic and consumer centers. These required larger amounts of milk and meat and so there was a strong sell-off of the best animals in milking stations around the new urban centers. This was associated with a decline in the quality and quantity of the gray livestock.

The regional culture council for Tyrol tried to improve the situation by means of teaching shows, bull subsidies and strict licensing regulations. At the beginning of the 20th century the first gray cattle breeding cooperative was founded in Oberhofen, and pure breeding began after the First World War. Within North Tyrol, the breeding area included the districts of Landeck , Imst , Innsbruck-Land and Kufstein . The Tiroler Grauviehzuchtverband , which keeps the herdbook, was founded in Landeck in 1924. The first general gray cattle exhibitions were held in 1926 and 1927, and in 1928 the first association exhibitions were held in Inzing and Ried.

In 1933 a breeding goal was set that was valid for all breeding areas and already at that time referred to robust health, good feed conversion but also good milk and meat production as well as standardization of color and body shape. In 1938 the association had 44 associations with 1,000 members and 1,800 herd book animals. After the Second World War, there was close contact with the gray cattle breeders from South Tyrol. In 1949 the South Tyrolean gray cattle breeding association, today the national association of breeders for the gray cattle breed, was founded there. There a separate herd book is opened for the so-called gray cattle breed, a performance test was introduced and breeding measures were developed.

Services of the Tyrolean gray cattle

The Tyrolean gray cattle is a dual-purpose breed, which is why they are bred for both milk and meat production. The milk yield is around 4,890 kg with around 4.0% fat and 3.25% protein. The herd book is kept in two parts, on the one hand for the double use (milk and meat) and on the other hand for the meat. This is to take account of the increasing use of this breed in suckler cow husbandry. The male animals achieve daily weight gain of around 1,300 g in pure breeding. The Tyrolean gray cattle are characterized by high slaughter yields of up to 60%. Due to the abundance of milk, fertility and good feed conversion, the breed is suitable for suckler cow husbandry for both pure and crossbreeding. The Tyrolean gray cattle was and is bred as a robust dual-purpose breed in the extreme mountain regions of Tyrol. Performance characteristics such as longevity and fertility are valued by breeders and taken into account in the breeding process.

Special features in keeping

Around 82% of the gray cattle farms are located at an altitude of over 1,000 m. Almost all of the young cattle are alpine in summer . Likewise around 40% of the cows. The Tyrolean gray cattle are productive even on extensive areas thanks to the frugality, the pronounced suitability for terrain and the ability to graze. Due to its size, weight and good feed conversion, the adaptable Tyrolean gray cattle are ideally suited for the careful management of meadows and pastures.

literature

  • Ursula Wanker: The Tyrolean gray cattle. A monograph. Vienna 1985 (Vienna, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, diploma thesis).
  • Tiroler Grauviehzuchtverband (Ed.): Tiroler Grauvieh. Jewel of the mountains. Edition Löwenzahn, Innsbruck 1999, ISBN 3-7066-2199-1 .
  • Johannes Nightshade: Development of the cattle breeds in North Tyrol from the turn of the century. Vienna 1995 (Vienna, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, diploma thesis).
  • Raphael Kuen: Grauvieh Tirol, the animal, the region, the myth , Verlag Brandstätter, 2018, ISBN 978-3-7106-0250-4

photos

  • Tyrolean gray cattle calf in the Tyrolean Pitztal

  • Tyrolean gray cattle, bull

  • Tyrolean gray cattle, cow

  • Tyrolean gray cattle

Web links

Commons : Tiroler Grauvieh  - Collection of images, videos and audio files