1.1.1. Cattle

Cattle have been inhabiting our lands since ancient times. Bones of Pleistocene bulls (Bos trochoceros) that lived in the ice age, were found during excavations in our country.
Bones of the post-glacial bull (Bos primigenius Boj.) were discovered in the Mesolithic layers and bones of the domesticated cattle – in the Neolithic layers. It is supposed that ancient bulls had been living in our lands until 12th century. The Balkans are considered one of the centers for cattle domestication. The cattle inhabiting our lands in more recent times belong to two craniological types: B. t. primigenius and B. t. brachyceros. Until the Liberation from the Ottoman domination, only local primitive cattle were found on the territory of our country and cattle had been imported from other countries only sporadically. The bred animals were of the Local Gray cattle breed belonging to B. t. primigenius and of Rhodope Shorthorn cattle breed belonging to B. t. brachyceros. The animals from those two breeds were of low productivity and the import of foreign breeds started in order to meet the increasing demand
for milk and meat after the Liberation. In the first years cattle were imported mainly from Russia. As early as 1894, the Bulgarian State made the first attempts to improve breeding. The Superior Council of cattle breeding within the Ministry of Trade and Agriculture recommended the use of the Swiss breeds Schweitz and Simmental. Although considerable number of animals were imported, mainly bulls, the effect was insignificant due to the poor nutrition and breeding conditions on the farms.
Some private entrepreneurs started importing other breeds. Along with Schweitz, Montafon and Simmental, cattle of Dutch Black-and-White, German Angler, Obirntal breeds, etc. Had been imported. Along with Brown and Simmental cattle, the State imported Hungarian Gray cattle too. A mass and unsystematic crossing between the aborigine and the imported breeds started. An attempt to eliminate the chaos was made in 1924 when the First Animal Breeding Conference was held. At the Conference, it was decided to divide the country into breeding districts. According to that division, a relatively large district was determined for crossings with the participation of Brown Alpine cattle breed; a limited region for crossings with Sadovo Red cattle breed, i.e. in the area of Sadovo and Plovdiv and all the rest territory of the country – for breeding activities with Iskar cattle breed. That division into districts was not appropriate because an attempt was made to restore the old primitive breeds in districts where the better characteristics of crossings with imported breeds had already been well-known.
Applying the plan for the district division faced serious opposition especially in North-East Bulgaria and in the Rhodope region. The Second Animal Breeding Conference was convened in 1936 when the district division was corrected. The new division admitted the use of more breeds, expanded the area for Red cattle breeding activities and limited the one for Brown cattle. Gradually, Bulgarian breeds had been developed applying different cross-breeding techniques and using thorough-breed flocks of imported breeds. The breeds Iskar cattle, Sofia Brown cattle, Kula cattle, Red Sadovo cattle and Rhodope Shorthorn cattle were officially recognized by virtue of the Decree 631 of 12 June 1951.
The breeding process continued after 1951. In parallel to pure-breed breeding, crossings with breeds improving both the newly-recognized breeds and the local cattle of Gray breed continued. Animal census in the country showed that in 1961 there were 1149530 cattle, out of which 461751 cows. 524986 animals were pure-breed, representing 45.67% of the cattle in the country. The animals of the local Gray cattle breed were 21.6% of the total number of cattle, 9.0% were of Sofia Brown cattle breed, 4.6% of Rhodope Shorthorn cattle, 4.4% of Kula cattle, 3.3% of Iskar cattle and 2.5% of Red Sadovo cattle, respectively. The pure-breed animals of Simmental, Montafon, Red Danish, Latvian Buro, Red Steppe and Black-and-White Dutch cattle amounted to 3444, i.e. 0.3%. Crossings of local Gray and Iskar cattle with Montafon and Sofia Brown cattle amounted to 21.6%; with Simmental and Kula cattle – 14.9%; with Red cattle – 10.1%. The other crossbreeds in the country amounted to 7.7%.
Since 1958 Jersеy breed has been involved in the breeding process for improving Rhodope Shorthorn cattle breed and a mass import of Black-and-White cattle breed started after 1955. New breeds were established on the basis of the transitional breeds.
In 1981 Bulgarian Brown cattle, Bulgarian Simmental cattle and Bulgarian Red cattle were recognized as successors of Sofia Brown, Kula and Red Sadovo cattle breeds, respectively. In 1989 Bulgarian Rhodope cattle breed was recognized and in 2002 – Bulgarian Black-and White cattle breed. 545 thousand cattle, including 327 thousand cows, were bred in the country at the end of 2010. The biggest number of cattle was established in 1980 – 1.79
million animals. Probably this number would not be reached in the near future but the number of the cattle reared nowadays is absolutely insufficient. In the year mentioned, 19.8 thousand tons of beef were produced in the country, which is merely 9.2% of the total production, while in the past it reached up to 25%.
In 2010, 1.12 million tons of cow milk was produced in Bulgaria, which represents 88.0% of the total production. Within the last 50 years the milk yield has doubled – from 1540 to 3250 kg, however it is still far below the average in Europe. The reason is that more than 20 years now breeding activities have not been performed and its importance has been underestimated. Highly productive animals have been imported without creating conditions for their further reproduction. This is a pernicious policy proved by the results. In the last 10 years when the milk yield in Europe has increased by more than 25%, in our country it has not increased and what is more, it has decreased by 250 kg per cow.
The first cattle breeding organizations were established 11 years ago, but in practice they started to function only 4-5 years ago. At present breeding activities are carried out by 7 breeding organizations controlling 46772 cows. This represents 14% of the total number of cows in the country. Compared to 2009, the number of cattle under breeding control has increased from 32109 to 46772, i.e. by 45.6%. In 2011, 2328 more animals of the local autochthonous breeds Rhodope Shorthorn and Bulgarian Gray cattle have been monitored, which is 53% more compared to 2009
Source: [5] LIVESTOCK BREEDS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA; Author team Catalogue, 3rd edition, Bulgaria; 2011, Sofia, Bulgaria

1.1.1.1. Rhodope shorthorn cattle

Figure 3 Rhodope shorthorn cattle

Table 2 16 General information

Table 2 17 Breeding status

Table 2 18 Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction

• Description of breed
Breed specific characteristics
A typical representative of the breeds for milk production. A small, elongated and well-constructed body. A fine compact construction; wedge-shaped; gentle, dry and slightly muscular angular body forms. The head is medium big, proportional to body, elongated, narrow and dry, with a slightly concaved profile line. The forehead is long and comparatively broad, narrowing between the horns, resembling a pyramid truncated almost at the base. The horns are thin, fragile, of small circumference at the base and even thickness along the length. The dorsal line parts are medium long, thin and slightly muscular. The croup is well-developed. The chest is comparatively long and narrow. The limbs are thin with well-developed joints and tendons, a strong hoof horn

Figure 4 Rhodope shorthorn cattle

Table 2 19 Colour

Table 2 20 Main exterior measurements

Table 2 21 Milk performance

Table 2 22 Reproduction and use

1.1.1.1. Bulgarian gray cattle

Figure 5 Bulgarian gray cattle

Table 2 23 General information

Table 2 24 Breeding status

Table 2 25 Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction

• Description of the breed
Breed specific characteristics
The size of animals is medium. They have compact and tough bones, powerful muscles fit for work and strong tendons. The animals of the breed have a tough body construction, high adaptability to environmental conditions, good fertility and they are famous for their long life. The millennia-long breeding of those animals under one and the same conditions easily explains their incredible resistance to the unfavorable environmental factors. The historically preconditioned heredity of the Bulgarian Gray Cattle results in low-productive, late-maturing animals of limited possibilities of growth, determining a low productive capacity. These characteristics do not allow the breed to be selfmaintained and to develop independently under the existing economic environment.

Figure 6 Bulgarian gray cattle

Table 2 26 Colour

Table 2 27 Main exterior measurements

Table 2 28 Milk performance

Table 2 29 Meat performance

Table 2 30 Reproduction and use

1.1.1.1. Black and white cattle

Figure 7 Black and white cattle

Table 2 31 General information

Table 2 32 Breeding status

Table 2 33 Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction

• Description of the breed
Breed specific characteristics
The largest size breed for milk production, with a fine and compact construction. The head is elongated, dry and gentle. The muzzle is broad with widely open nostrils. The horns are medium long. The body shapes are elongated, angular, with under-developed muscles. The neck is medium long to long, shallow and thin, with numerous clearly outlined skin folders. The back is straight, long and medium broad. The croup is well-developed, medium long to long, broad and straight. The ribs are slantwise positioned towards the dorsal line, with wellexpressed and wide intercostal zones. The limbs are thin and dry. The hooves have a regular shape and size. The dairy features are expressed very well. The udder is voluminous, trough- or goblet-shaped, widely attached high at the rear part. The teats are of optimal length, usually cylindrical in shape. Normally their tips are dark coloured. The tail is medium long to long, ending in a welloutlined white tuft. The animals demonstrate very good adaptive and acclimatization capacities, but they have high food requirements.

Figure 8 Black and white cattle

Table 2 34 Colour

Table 2 35 Main exterior measurements

Table 2 36 Milk performance

Table 2 37 Meat performance

Table 2 38 Reproduction and use

1.1.1.1. Brown cattle

Figure 9 Brown cattle

Table 2 39 General information

Table 2 40 Breeding status

Table 2 41 Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction

• Description of the breed

Breed specific characteristics
The animals are large, having typical exterior traits and construction of the combined dairy and beef breeds. The head is medium. The body structure is proportional. The limbs are normally attached with tough bones, good musculature and a firm hoof horn. The udder is well developed, usually gobletshaped. The hair coat is short. The calves are gray-white at birth. At the age of 2-3-months they become gray-black and latter on they become graybrown. The female animals have an excellent shape of the udder and teats for machine milking. The milk is of high quality, with the highest content of kappa casein В, which makes it very suitable for cheese-production. The fat and protein contents are extremely favorable. The male calves are very good for fattening; they have good daily gain and high slaughter output. The meat is tender, pink-red, marbled, of good taste qualities. The breed adapts quickly to various breeding systems and climatic conditions. The animals demonstrate long lifespan and continuous productivity that are very important traits in the evaluation of the breed efficiency

Figure 10 Brown cattle

Table 2 42 Colour

Table 2 43 Main exterior measurements

Table 2 44 Milk performance

Table 2 45 Meat performance

Table 2 46 Reproduction and use

1.1.1.1. Bulgarian rhodope cattle

Figure 11 Bulgarian rhodope cattle

Table 2 47 General information

Table 2 48 Breeding status

Table 2 49 in Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction in Animal Breeding

• Descrition of the breed
Breed specific characteristics
A typical representative of the small cattle breeds for milk. The animals have gentle, compact, strong construction and graceful, fine, light body forms. The head is light, comparatively broad-foreheaded, finely cut, with big vivid eyes and widely open nostrils. The body is deep, elongated and slightly built. The chest is comparatively long and deep but narrow. The bones are welldeveloped; the legs are strong, with well-developed tendons and a strong hoof horn.
The Bulgarian Rhodope Cattle is the breed of the highest relative milk yield, the highest milk concentration, the highest fertility and the most continuous use in the country. It has an excellent adaptive capacity and extremely high ecological plasticity.

Figure 12 Bulgarian rhodope cattle

Figure 13 Bulgarian rhodope cattle

Table 2 50 Colour

Table 2 51 Main exterior measurements

Table 2 52 Milk performance

Table 2 53 Meet performance from young bulls

Table 2 54 Reproduction and use

1.1.1.1. Simmental

Figure 14 Simmental

Table 2 55 General information

Table 2 56 Breeding status

Table 2 57 Genetic Bank of the Executive Agency on Selection and Reproduction