Polish Red Cattle: A Scheme for Their Conservation

Abstract

Polish Red is the only indigenous cattle breed in Poland. Breeding was first started at the end of the 19th century. At the end of the 1960s the breed constituted more than 20 percent of the total cattle population in Poland. During the 1970s Polish Red cattle were superseded by Friesian,-and now there are about 200 000 cows left (i.e., 3 percent of the total population).These dual-purpose (dairy-beef) animals are hardy and well adapted to rather poor feeding conditions. An improvement programme, through crossbreeding, would likely diminish their original characteristics. Therefore, together with breed improvement, a gene reserve in the form of a conservation herd of 300 cows and a gene bank of frozen semen and embryos have been implemented. A systematic breeding programme has been implemented also to maintain the old genotype and ensure wider genetic variation within the herd.

Adaptability of Polish Red Cows to Extensive Feeding Conditions

“…The fact that this breed was bred mainly by peasants, while the nobility preferred mainly imported breeds (Dutch Black and White or Simmental), says a great deal about its conformation and functional traits. Long-term breeding in these conditions led to the perpetuation of traits such as resistance to severe climatic conditions, poorer-quality feedstuffs, and even periodic feed shortages during the winter feeding period [50].…”