The development of dairy husbandry in this
region was aided by a good feed base (from flood lands in the alluvial
plains of the Vyatka and Moloma rivers), the near-by markets for selling
dairy products and organized butter-making.
The breed was named after the settlement of
Istoben where a large creamery was set up; the best herds were concentrated
in its vicinity.
The importation of the Kholmogory and Swiss
Brown breeds began late in the 19th and early in the 20th century;
later the Yaroslavl breed was imported.
During 1936-37 there was an infusion of East
Friesian blood. Nevertheless, crossing of the local cattle with the
above-mentioned breeds was quite limited and had no major effect on
the productivity of the local herds.
During selection the major emphasis was placed
on fat content. In 1935 the National Herdbook of the Istoben cattle
was opened. The breed was recognized in 1943.
The animals of this breed have clearly-defined
dairy features; their constitution is strong and conformation compact.
The head is somewhat coarse with a long face.
The chest is deep and long but not wide enough;
the ribs are well sprung, flat with a large distance between them.
The withers are narrow and medium in height.
The back and loin are long enough; the rump
is long and fairly wide at the hips but narrow at the pinbones. The
legs are frequently wrongly set; cow hocks and knock knees as well
as bowed hind legs are occasionally observed.
The musculature is poorly developed. Common
defects are as follows: narrow chest, sway back, sloping and narrow
rump, wrongly set legs. Coat colour is mostly black or black-and-white
(up to 70%), sometimes (about 25%) red or red-and-white. The udder
of most cows is cup-shaped and medium in size.
Istoben cows on the best farm (Kirovsk Lugobolotnaya
experiment station 1976) have the following measurements (in cm):
withers height 129, chest depth 70, chest width 49, width at hips
51, oblique body length 162, heart girth 190, cannon bone girth 18.5.
The live weight of newborn calves is 26-30 kg; that of cows is 430-480
kg and of bulls 720-790 kg.
According to the results of the 1981 evaluation
the average annual milk production of pedigree animals (mature cows)
was 3107 kg, and the fat content was 3.83%.
The best breeding herd of the Kirovsk Lugobolotnaya
experiment station produced earlier (in 1976) 4238 kg of milk with
3.96% fat. The best cows in this herd produced during their best 305-day
lactation 5990-6286 kg of milk with 4.05-4.15% fat.
The 1200 cows at the 50-letiye SSSR breeding
state farm in Orichevsk district of Kirov region averaged, in 1983,
4023 kg of milk and 156 kg of butterfat.
Some Istoben cows have reached a record milk
yield. The cow Beluga K10-64 during her 6th lactation produced 8127
kg of milk with 4.07% fat; over 12 lactations she produced 53278 kg
of milk with 3.90% fat. Fara K10-1315 produced 8366 kg of milk with
4.98% fat.
Istoben cattle have satisfactory beef qualities.
The structure of the breed comprises 6 major lines. The valuable features
of this breed are its good adaptation to the local ecological conditions
and resistance to infectious diseases. Cases of leucosis among Istoben
animals are 20 times less than among the Black Pied breed.
The number of Istoben cattle on 1 January
1980 was 10,6000 head. Numbers have decreased because these cattle
are not competitive compared with the leading dairy breeds. In accordance
with the long-term plan of Istoben cattle breeding in Kirov region
a conservation herd was established in Istobenski breeding state farm
in Orichev district.
The main purpose of this farm is to produce
valuable bulls of the tested lines. The major technique is outbreeding;
moderate inbreeding may be used within lines followed by line crossing.
To proceed with the breeding of the approved
lines of this breed, a bank of deep-frozen semen of the 24 best sires
representing the leading lines is being set up. With complete diet
feeding the Istoben breed can be rapidly improved by crossing with
the related Dutch breed.
Reference:
Dmitriez, N.G. and Ernst, L.K. (1989) Animal
Genetic Resources of the USSR. Animal Production and Health Paper
Publ. by FAO, Rome, 517 pp.
Photographs:
Dmitriez, N.G. and Ernst, L.K. (1989) Animal
Genetic Resources of the USSR. Animal Production and Health Paper
Publ. by FAO, Rome, 517 pp.
We would like to include images of this breed
in our information. If you have photographs, slides or video of
this breed which we could borrow or if you know of a potential source
please contact us using the comment form below.
