Alatau breed — iibso ama iibi

History of the breed. The Alatau breed of cattle is a breed of both dairy-meat and meat-dairy productivity. It was created in the Kyrgyz Republic and in southern Kazakhstan based on the improvement of local Kyrgyz cattle with Swiss cattle, incorporating blood from the Kostroma breed. The breed was formed in the foothill areas of the Zailiysky Alatau, under continental climate conditions. The breeding areas range from 500 to 3500 meters in altitude. In 1904, the first attempts to improve local cattle began. Bulls of Swiss, Simmental, Dutch, and Shorthorn breeds were imported. The main goal of selection was to increase the live weight of the animals and enhance milk productivity. In 1916, a breeding farm for Swiss cattle was established, to which 14 bulls and 21 cows were delivered in 1921. From 1922 to 1940, large batches of Swiss cattle were received from the Smolensk and Kostroma regions. In 1950, the Alatau cattle received the status of an independent breed. Exterior. Alatau cattle are characterized by a strong build, with cows weighing 500–600 kg and bulls weighing 850–1100 kg. The head is large and coarse, the muzzle is elongated, the neck is short, and the chest is deep. The body is shorter than that of Swiss cattle, the chest is rounded, the musculature is well developed, and the meat forms are pronounced. The limbs are shorter than those of Swiss cattle. The udder is rounded, and the milk veins are well developed but not prominent. The coat color is brown, with red-brown individuals having white markings. Externally, they resemble Swiss cattle. Conditions of keeping. They can be kept both in stalls and on pastures. The breed is well adapted to mountainous terrain. They do not like moisture. Even in severe frosts, they can stay in unheated premises, as long as it is dry. Direction. They can be of both meat-dairy and dairy-meat direction. Milk productivity is above average: up to eight thousand kilograms of milk with a fat content of 3.8% to 4% during the lactation period.