**2.3 Grey steppe breeds or Podolic cattle**

The cattle from the grey steppe or Podolic cattle breeds group represent some of the oldest regional cattle, which comes from Bos taurus primigenius and was


**Table 2.**

*The productive characteristics of the Pinzgau breed [2, 4, 5].*

formed in the pedoclimatic conditions specific to the steppe area. Human intervention in the formation of these breeds is insignificant over the centuries undergoing little change in terms of morphological appearance and production skills.

*Geographical area*. Podolian or grey steppe cattle belong to the group of primigenius cattle, about the origin of which there are several theories. The first hypothesis of the origin of these breeds refers to the migratory peoples who brought the animals from the steppes of Central Asia over 1000 years ago, and then were subjected to a process of acclimatization. Another theory claims that this group of breeds appeared with the great migration in the fourth century, and other researchers consider the grey cavities appeared after domestication in the Carpathian Basin. Etymologically the term 'Podolic' comes from the Podolia region of Ukraine. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Podolic cattle were widespread in the Carpathian Basin and the Pannonian Plain, extending as far as Vojvodina. 100 years ago, the group of Podolian cattle was found in Ukraine, Romania and Hungary; later it spread to the Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Serbia) and to the south (Croatia, Greece, Italy) [2, 7].

*Morphological characterization.* Podolic breeds are characterized by a body development varying from weights of 480–850 kg and height at withers of 137–150 cm, animals are tall and leggy, have well-developed front part of body (lionic aspect inherited from wild ancestors) and thick skin (adaptation to cold winters). The udder is mainly rounded with glandular tissue in a small proportion. The conformation of the breed is robust, the body shape is rectangular and the limbs are strong and long with wide and strong joints. The colour is grey or silver-grey, with darker shades to bulls on the sides of the trunk and on the top. The nasal mirror, horns, tail tuft and hooves are dark or black. Calves at birth are reddish in colour (**Figure 3**) [8].

*Productive characteristics.* Podolic cattle has a morpho-productive type specific to breeds with universal production characteristics, of which the traction aptitude is unmatched by other modern breeds. It withstands long and difficult roads, withstands good weather conditions and has modest demands on maintenance conditions. It is a late breed in which the reproductive maturity is reached at 30–32 months, with the productive life of up to 11–13 years and even more (15–16 years) and fertility is very high (99–99%). Typically, milk production varies between 980 and 2950 kg and a fat content of 3.6–6%, but in very good conditions of maintenance it can achieve more, and the lively temperament (**Table 3**). Animals of Podolic breed are hardy animals with low nutritional requirements and good viability. Calves at birth are small in size; calves have a body weight of 20–38 kg at

**Figure 3.** *Grey steppe breed from Romania.*


#### **Table 3.**

*The productive characteristics of the grey steppe breed (Podolic cattle) [2].*

birth, and in appropriate growth conditions, achieve an average daily growth rate of 0.7–0.8 kg and a body weight of 130–150 kg at the age of 6 months [1, 7, 8].

*The future of breeds*. Grey steppe breeds are distinguished by robustness, low requirements for feed rations and housing conditions; they are not sensitive to tuberculosis or leukosis, so they can be true genetic reserves for the future. Most breeds that are part of the Podolic cattle or grey steppe group have a very small number of animals, so it is necessary to implement in vivo conservation programmes or cryo-programmes. It is very suitable for growing on organic farms and for the recovery of milk in traditional products or with controlled origin, given that milk has special organoleptic qualities.
