Buša cattle
The Buša cattle (or also Busha) is a small native breed of cattle with numerous strains found throughout southern parts of former Yugoslavia (Dinaric Alps). It belongs to the group of the shorthorn cattle.
Description
The animals are unicoloured brown. They are small: cows weigh 300 kg with a heigh of 115 cm, bulls 450 kg with 120 cm. Buša heifers are backward; they become sexually mature only with two years. The calves are very small: their birth weight is about 15 kg. The breed's fertility is between 85 and 90%. Femals stay fertile until an age of twelve years. The lifetime of the cattle is about twenty years.
Characteristics
Bušas are used as draft animals, and for beef and milk production. The milk performance is about 1,000 l per annum. The milk contents about 6% milk fat and 4.6% protein.
Variants
Bušas and their cross breeds are widespread over the former Yugoslavia: they are kept in Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, parts of Croatia like Lika and Dalmatia, and in Montenegro. They are adapted on karst landscapes and count as robust and frugal. In the winter the cattle is housed for 2–6 months, in the remaining time they are kept outdoor.
External links
- Cattle breeds -- Buša
- Buša (Croatian)