Watussi bull: appearance and characteristics of the wild breed, breeding

In the world of cattle there are bright and peculiar representatives. One of them is the bull Ankole Watussi. Animals of this breed have been living next to humans for a very long time. Today, the dignity of these representatives of cattle for modern livestock breeders is not only appearance, but also meat and milk productivity. Today, the history of the Watusi cattle breed is six thousand years old.

The story of the origin of Watusi

The main ancient ancestor of the Watussi bulls is considered to be a wild tour that lived on the banks of the Nile River. Scientists suggest that there was an accidental crossing of aurochs with humpback zebu bulls that came to the African continent from Pakistan, India, and local domestic cows.

East Africa is considered the birthplace of the breed:

Uganda;
Tanzania;
Congo;
Burundi;
Rwanda.

The animals got their name from the names of local peoples, such as Tutsi and Nkole. African tribes rarely slaughtered adult representatives of the breed for meat. Most often they were used for milk production and bloodletting. Animal blood was also eaten.

At the beginning of the 20th century, unusual animals were brought to European zoos. In 1960, several individuals were transported to the United States, where breeding began.

Appearance and features

Watussi bull and cow have differences in body weight. Males weigh, in general, one and a half times more than females. The weight of the largest males can exceed 700 kg, while the mass of female representatives rarely exceeds 500 kg.

The physique of animals is strong, rather dry than loose, legs are long. In the neck area, you can see a hump, like a zebu. The body length reaches 2.6 m, the height at the withers is 1.7 m. The heads of males and females are decorated with long horns. The latter are somewhat longer. In Africa, there are individuals with both lyre-shaped and pyramidal horns. In the USA, animals with straight horns growing in different directions are more popular. The thickness of the horns at the base is 10, 40 and even 90 cm, the length of the horn can vary from 150 cm to 240 cm, and the weight reaches 50 kg. The udder of cows is small with hairline. Due to the umbilical fold, the female from afar can be confused with the male.

Important! Watussi's horns are pierced with blood vessels. Animals need them for thermoregulation in the African hot climate. They also help to survive in the fight against predators.

Among African livestock breeders, animals of a dark red color are valued. Although the color can be brown, black and spotted.

Pros and cons of the breed

Like any breed, the watousi has its pros and cons.

Pros and consthe breed is hardy, suitable for long transitions;easily tolerate poor food and a small amount of water;has thin but strong bones, which ensures a high, up to 70%, meat yield;can be milked once a day;high, up to 5%, fat content of milk;resistance to diseases caused by protozoan microorganisms;life expectancy - up to 30 years with the preservation of the ability to reproduce.give milk no more than 2 liters per day and 250-300 liters during lactation;high cost of breeding stock.

Maintenance, care and nutrition

Watussi animals do not require complex care and high maintenance costs. In Africa, sheds are built for them, where animals wait out the bad weather, in the place of constant spending the night for the herd, wooden decks are made.

The stomachs of African cows are adapted to the digestion of rough, dry feed. They do not have tympania and excessive gas formation in the cicatricial region. When fed with straw and hay, animals gain weight well. A bull needs up to 100 kg of feed per day, a cow - up to 70 kg. With traditional maintenance on fat pastures, milk yield can be increased up to 600 liters per season.

Breeding

The period of puberty in Watussi begins at 9 months, but it is desirable to let them breed after 2 years. As a rule, bulls and cows live together. Males are ready to mate at any time, while females come to hunt once every couple of months.

With herd keeping for breeding, it is enough to have sires, no more than 2% of the total number.

The gestation period is, on average, 10 months. Females bring 1-2 calves. The weight of the newborn is 14-20 kg. The height at the withers varies from 0.6 to 0.8 meters. As a rule, calves are immediately weaned from their mothers. Sometimes babies are allowed to take two or three sips of milk before milking. The cows of this breed have a well-developed maternal instinct, and they are ready to protect offspring from any enemies.

Frequent diseases

Watussi purebred bulls are distinguished by good he alth. They do not need special vitamin supplements to food. Animals are resistant to all hemosporidiosis. Young animals are the most vulnerable. He, as a rule, suffers from a lack of mother's milk. In such conditions, there is a large percentage of calves leaving from starvation and exhaustion.