The Yakut miniature cow is not like other representatives of the horned tribe. The humpbacked baby has remarkable strength and agility. Due to the fault of unlucky breeders, the breed almost disappeared from the face of the earth, but with the help of livestock breeders, some of the cows were saved. Few people know that the Yakuts are producers of nutritious milk and delicious marbled meat.
How the breed appeared
Yakut cows inherited their colorful appearance from their ancestors - Indian zebu. The slight hunchback and unusual structure of the animal's fur indicate a relationship with exotic animals. The first representatives of the Yakut breed appeared on the territory of the Sakha Republic. By the mid-18th century, experts had identified the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the breed. The main advantages of animals were recognized as the ability of pets to withstand severe frosts and unpretentiousness in food.
Over the decades, the breed has evolved without undergoing any changes. In the 20s of the last century, unpretentious pets began to be crossed with Kholmogory and Simmental breeds. The experiments led to the disappearance of shaggy cows. Experts tried to revive the breed, but failed to correct the situation. Today you can see animals only on individual private farms and in the Novosibirsk nursery of the Research Institute of Agriculture.
Description and characteristics of Yakut cows
Representatives of the Yakut breed belong to the meat and dairy type of livestock, but differ in many ways from their relatives. Yakuts love to make dizzying jumps, which allows them to overcome various obstacles on the way to fresh grass.
Burenki tolerate frosts without problems, but react negatively to rain. Pets become attached to their owners and gratefully accept care. Animals practically do not get sick and in most cases give birth to healthy calves. General characteristics of the Yakut breed:
- Yakutka is one of the shortest cows. The height of the largest individual barely reaches 120 cm.
- The maximum weight of bulls reaches 500 kg. The average cow weighs 340 kg.
- A small, tightly built body and short powerful legs indicate the unpretentiousness and strength of the pet.The picture is somewhat spoiled by the hunchback and undeveloped, hanging rear.
- The cow's fleshy, wide neck is crowned with a small head. In bulls, the skin on the neck is gathered into folds.
- The animal's head is decorated with straight, slightly curved horns.
- Dense thick skin and long hair are designed to protect the cow from frost and annoying insects.
- Among the animals there are individuals painted in white, black or red shades. It is common to see spotted cows.
Miniature cows are extremely shaggy. The hair of animals is 2-3 times thicker than the hair of ordinary cows. With the onset of frost, the strands grow quickly, becoming 5-6 times longer. A luxurious curly fur coat helps pets survive the harsh winter.
With the onset of sustained warmth, cows molt, shedding long strands of hair. The life expectancy of pets is 15-19 years.
You should not expect amazing milk yields from a Yakut woman. Over the course of a year, the unpretentious cow produces just over 1,500 liters. This figure is 3 times lower than that of other cows. Modest milk yields are more than compensated by the quality of milk. The fat content of the product is 5-9%, and in terms of vitamin content it is a real record holder. Milk has a sweetish taste and is excellent for making butter, sour cream and other fermented milk products.
Cows of the Yakut breed are known as suppliers of special marbled meat. It is famous not only for its exquisite taste and aroma, but also for the presence of substances that prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and carcinogens. The soft pink flesh of the product is dotted with thin layers of fat. Today, the task of livestock breeders is to preserve the few surviving representatives of the breed, so cattle are slaughtered extremely rarely.
Pros and cons of animals
Yakut babies do not require complex care, however, some nuances of these animals must be taken into account.
How to keep and care for the breed
Nature took care of the survival of Yakut cows in harsh winter conditions.Thanks to their fat layer, thick skin and long wavy coat, cows can sleep right on the snow. They are not afraid of 50-degree frosts and gusts of icy wind, so there is no need to build a permanent warm barn for cows.
Summer walking area
In the warm season, cows are content with fresh grass, tree branches, last year's hay and even bark. Due to the special structure of the intestines, animals are able to digest roughage. Before sending livestock to free grazing, the area for summer walking of animals is scrupulously inspected, removing sharp-edged stones, sticks and dead wood from the ground. If you leave things to chance, horned pets risk injuring their eyes or the delicate skin of the udder.
You should not drive cows onto pastures sown with legumes, rapeseed or rapeseed. Pets like this food, but when they overeat, animals suffer from bloating. It is not advisable to release cows into fields sown with cabbage or potatoes. Canopies are installed on the pasture area to protect pets from rain and scorching sun. Special feeders and drinking bowls are installed under the canopies.
How to set up a barn
Animals do not need a warm room, an exception is made only for cows during the calving period. A hoton is built for pets - this is the name of the stable in the local language. Khoton is equipped with hanging feeders for hay and green fodder. Wet food is served to cows in troughs or shallow, wide buckets. Ideally, the feeder should have a trapezoid shape.
Animals sleep in snowdrifts without any problems, so the floors in the barn are made of any cold materials except metal. To create comfortable conditions, the floor of the barn can be covered with a small layer of hay and straw.
Content Rules
Cows thrive in the fresh air. They live in open pastures all year round and do not need indoors. Canopies are installed on the pasture area to protect pets from rain and scorching sun. Special feeders and drinking bowls are placed under the shelter. Cows that have given birth along with their calves are kept in a light structure. In any weather, cows and calves are regularly walked.
How to clean a barn
Feeders and drinkers are constantly washed. Leftover old food is replaced with fresh food. If there is bedding on the floor, the covering is changed as necessary or diluted with a fresh portion of straw. If the barn floor is made of planks, the material is renewed every 4 years.
Diet
Yakut animals have long been accustomed to being content with pasture, but in winter their diet consists of additional products.
During the summer
In summer, the main food for pets is lush meadow grass and tree branches. If the vegetation on the pasture is sparse, the cows' milk yield and fat content decrease. In this case, the pet’s diet is supplemented with compound feed and nutritious root vegetables.
In winter
In winter, the daily diet of cows consists of 6 kg of hay, 1 kg of root vegetables (carrots, beets) and 300 g of feed. The drinking bowl is constantly filled with clean water.
Breeding
Yakut cows are fertile and endure childbirth without problems. The approaching moment of calving can be judged by the restless behavior of the cow. The animal moans pitifully, constantly lies down and immediately gets up.Before calving, it is necessary to clean the area and change the bedding. The genitals of the woman in labor are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The birth period lasts 30-40 minutes. The newborn calf is cleaned of birth secretions and mucus, the umbilical cord cutting site is treated with iodine and returned to the mother. After calving, the cow is washed with a warm soapy solution and wiped dry with a rag. The bedding in the stall is changed again.
The calves are born healthy and after 1.5 months the baby is transferred to separate apartments. The average weight of newborn babies is 20 kg. Thanks to their mother's nutritious milk, calves gain 800 g of weight every day. Yakut cows feed their offspring for up to 8 months, and then the young animals are transferred to roughage. By the age of 1.5 years, animals gain up to 300 kg of weight.
Is it worth buying
Despite the high cost of calves and difficulties with delivery, the purchase of Yakut cows is a profitable enterprise. Unpretentious cows will fully recoup the investment, and with proper breeding, they will bring considerable income to the owners.
The small size of cows makes it possible to raise livestock even in a limited area of a small farm.
Diseases
Thanks to strong immunity and high levels of hemoglobin, cows do not suffer from leukemia, brucellosis and other common diseases.
