ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN DALMATIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400053-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 53
• Publication Date: June 23, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL 901'IAL
CENTRAL INTF1LIG9MQE /AG t4CY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM,
FOREIGN DQCUMENTS OR RADIO I9RPADCA8TA CD 1:0.
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
Economic - Agriculture, livestock
Monthly periodical
Zagreb
Nov 1950
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OF ITS 0008011 II LIT BANNER TO AU OMAN 710^la1 FlI10, Il BOB.
111111E M LAW. U/IONCT101 OF Toll ION Il -UOIISITII.
DATE OF
INFORMATION
DATE DIST VV Jun 1951
NO. OF PAGES 5
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Although agricultural conditions in Dalmatia are unfavorable for cattle
breeding, animal husbandry is a basic branch of economy in the karst regions.
Sparse Lnd rocky pAiJtures, poorly covered with short grass, are able to
provide fodder only for the native breed of sheep and for the Busa breed
of cow. The stunted woodland trees provide food for domestic goats.
Animal husbandry does not satisfy the demands of the population
qualitatively or quantitatively, 'here is a constant decrease in the
number of animals and deterioration in their quality.
Dalmatia has always been considered an area for the Busa and Oberinthal
breeds of cattle. The Oberinthal breed, as a pure strain and crossbred
with Busa, has been adopted in areas where feeding and raising conditions
were adequate for high productivity. These are mainly Sinj and Knin srezes
ana some small areas within other srezes which have comparably favorable
conditions, where the owners are rich and skilled enough to provide the
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required for even the Oberinthal breed cannot be found in the entire area
of Sinj Srez; in the hilly parts, because of the poor feeding conditions,
this breed is far inferior in productivity and weight to the cattle of the
same breed in the lowland areas.
Long experience has proven that of all cattle raised, the Oberinthal
is the only one which adapts itself to a certain extent to the climatic,
economic, and living conditions in Dalmatia.
Efforts are being made to further the breeding of Dubrovnik Ruda sheep
in seacoast areas where there are favorable climatic and economic conditions,
and to increase their weight and ;tool output by -crossbreeding them, wherever
possible, with the Pestersko-Sjenicki breed in Sinj and Knin srezes.
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As far as hog breeding is concerned, the improved German breed is best
suited to Dalmatia and is the best type for crossbreeding. This imported
breed is favored by the Dalmatians, particularly because of its long body
and its productiveness.
The domestic hen is considered a good egg-layer. Experiments are
under way to improve its qualities by crossbreeding it with the improved
Styrian breed.
Of the three sectors of agriculture (private, state, and cooperative),
the private is the largest, As far as improvements and increases in animal
husbandry are concerned, however, state and cooperative farms are of
greater importance.
A large number of SRZ (farm work cooperatives) have not made any effort
to improve and increase the number of livestock. More ambitious ones, however,
with sufficient means to build better stables and to acquire more cattle,
have built up larger herds of cattle than can possibly be kept profitably.
In a barn for 10-20 cows, belonging to such an SRZ, all possible breeds and
crosses of cattle are to be found. There are usually several Siementhal cows
(large and small), Pinzgau, Montafon, Oberinthal, Busa, and all possible
crosses of these breeds. It is difficult +.o determine to what breed or cross-
breed such an animal actually belongs.
The impression such a herd makes on an agronomist is very poor. Trying
to find some justification for keeping such a mixed herd, an agronomist
usually inquires about an animal's productivity, health, feeding conditions,
etc., hoping to get an encouraging answer. Unfortunately, there is none.
Usually, the owners :omplain that the animals are using too much food and
yield little milk, do not graze enough and are always thin, etc.
A farmer who is used to a small cow like the Busa or a Busa crossbred
with an Obe=;.nthal, cannot get used to a large cow, and fails to realize
that it needs many tens of kilograms of good hay and several kilograms of
solid fodder daily, that it requires a good layer of straw to lie on, and
an adequate barn. Because of its soft hoofs, such a large cow cannot graze
on the rocky ialmatian pastures, on the poor, short, dry grass characteristic
of the karst region. The small-size Busa cows are neglected in such barns, for
fodder, which is never abundant, is always fed to the larger cows. Although
some large Siementhal cows were brought to the Dalmatian islands, the author
does-not know whether any of them are left, by now. The same breed was
trought 60-70'years ago to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where feeding conditions are
somewhat better than in Dalmatia.
It would have been much better if t:: SRZ had started to raise purebred
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VUCl'i lit 11610 and VUGi 14 ~.101~ V vi ~. a ni vbu,.w, GU; .;h a... fc ~vuna i n
Knin and Sinj srezes. Although it,was not possible to acquire enough milk
cows all at once, bulls and calves were available. In this way, the
precious breed could have been saved from slaughter. By now, such calves
would have formed herds of valuable animals (Oberinthals crossbred with Busa),
and the state authorities would have paid gojd money to the SRZ concerned
for breeding bulls and cows, which are so badly needed. Since the state
authorities have stopped buying young bulls at high prices, private farmers
have stopped raising bulls.
On cooperative farms, almost all the calves are slaughtered, for nobody
wants to keep the ugly, ill-proportioned animals of mixed breed which
consume too much food.
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It is high time to discontinue the above-mentioned breeding practice.
SRZ members should be compelled to acquire only Oberinthal or Oberinthal-But-a
bulls, to keep and raise gcod bull and heifer calves from these bulls and
Busa or Oberinthal-Busa cows, and to rejuvenate their herds gradually by
replacing the old cows of other breeds with the newly acquired Oberinthal-
Busa breed.
Those STZ which raise a limited number of cattle should be instructed
not to be toe enthusiastic about large cows. There is a common feeling in
such communities that only the large cow can be profitable.
Not even state farms have established a definite policy with respect
to cattle breeding in Dalmatia. Although Dalmatia belongs to the Oberinthal
region, some Montafons and other breeds have been kept on state farms. The
Montafon breed in this area was discontinued a long time ago, for the
Oberinthal breed proved to be better suited. to this part of the country.
The Montafon is heavier, has soft hoofs, requires better fodder, and is
not sufficiently hardy. The color of this breed is not so attractive to
Dalmatian farmers as the Oberinthal_
The Montafon breed is available in the vicinity of Zadar, It was intro-
duced by the Italians before World War Ii to ensure the milk supply of the
city of Zadar. Some good Montafons were left, which were transferred to the
state farms at Vran and Citluk. The Montafon breed has spread as far as
Glavica near Kxiin, although for many years the only breed throughout the
entire Knin area was the Oberinthal.
A number of breeding stations were established on SRZ and state farms,
but could not greatly alleviate the situation for the following reasons.
The number of good Oberinthal bulls and Oberinthal cross bulls is relatively
very small compared with the number of cows to be bred. The bulls are not
properly cared for, most of them are too old, and few replacements have been
made. The state farms, as the only source of breeding bulls, are not in a
position to satisfy the demands of all the breeding stations for replacements.
In'addition, one third of the state-farm bulls are Montafons.
Although largely represented in cattle breeding, private farms do not
contribute much to the improvement and increase of cattle. Accustomed to
having the state agricultural authorities supply him with a bull for breeding,
the farmer waits fo: a state-owned bull to be assigned to his area. If
a bull is not assigned, the farmer uses for his cows any bull he can find.
Sheep
Dalmatian Pramenka sheep are a natural product of the local conditions.
Every srez can be said to have its particular breed. There are three centers
in Dalmatia (Dubrovnik, Zalarin, and Silba) where successful experiments
e t.,n the Merino breed to improve loral sheen have been carried on for a long
;,.'me. However, improvement has been made and the new breed has established
itself only where living conditions have been changed. Thus, Dubrovnik Ruda
sheep have established themselves solely on the Dubrovni'= Islands and in the
area of the Dubrovnik seacoast, where they are re:sed in small flocks and
live in the houses with the people.
Sometimes it happens that in the same village one farmer is a better
agronomist and raises Ruda sheep, while his next-door neighbor has Pramenka
sheep which he keeps outdoors, depending solely on the pasture for food.
Similar cases are no. infrequent on Zlarin Island near Sibenik. On Silb and
Pag islands,'this particular type c2 sheep has retained its hi.h quality of
wool, but in adjusting to the poor fodder of the islands, it has lost weight
e:'d compareF in size with the smallest Pramenka sheep.
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After the liberation; efforts were made to improve the quality of Pramenka
sheep by importing rams and even complete herds of Peetersko-Sjenicka,
Macedonian, and Merino sheepo Positive results could be noticed, however,
only where the crossbred lambs were given better fodder, a regular supply of
water, and improved shelter? Similar good results were obtained at two or
three ambitious SRZ which experimented with Pestersko-Sjenicka sheep and
brought up the crossbred lambs with great care,
Some success was noticed at state farms too, although only a few hun-
dred satisfactory lambs were produced. The above activity will be
continued further, but final success will depend on improved conditions
of shelter, fodder, and a regular supply of water. It is not practicable,
however, to think of raising large flocks of several thousand sheep on one
farm, for Dalmatia's meager pastures indicate that sheep can be raised success-
fully only in small flocks of up to 100 sheep, grazing an extensive area,
watched by one shepherd. Larger flocks would require very extensive grazing
areas and a large number of shepherds, which would considerably raise the
expenses
The practice of assigning more sheep to one shepherd and limiting the
flock to a small grazing area is detrimental to milk and wool production and
undermines the inherited good qualities of these sheep: good wool and-large
size. Some exceptions to this rule have been noted in the Sinj area, where
the pastures are superior. In some other areas, various diseases and pests
(piroplasmosis, etc.) destroy all these inherited good qualities.
The private farmers, who at present keep approximately 95 percent
of Dalmatian sheep, have made no effort to improve their quality. Some
improvement could be achieved by a few individuals in areas with good pas-
tures and sufficient wa+er, if the individuals and the communities had a
sincere desire to raise a better breed of sheep. The number of sheep on
private anc. communal farms is decreasing, while the number of sheep on state
farms is increasing.
Hog breeding, like cattle breeding, in Dalmatia is marked by hetero-
geneous breeds, types, and crossbreeds,
The SRZ and other farms are raising hogs of all breeds, varieties, and
crosses. Immediately after the war, hog-breeding farms were assigned hogs
imported from the north: Mangalice, Pfeiffer, Turopolje, Black Slavonian,
Bagun, and Black Berkshire, all referred to as "Slavonian hogs." There
were some remnants also of improved German and Yorkshire hogs, and crosses
of the two. In time, all these breeds and crossbreeds became so crossed
that now each hog is a separate breed with no indication as to its origin,
or whether it is bacon-type, lard-type, or a combination. Because of their
ritab
high fertility, however, iueee Logs ara profit--~~~-c, for -~- ----., they o--- grow fast,
require little fodder, and are rather fat. They litter 1-3 times per year,
each time with 5-7 Pigs.
Since the bloodlines have not been kept pure, the negative results of
such inbreeding are already evident at certain farms: degeneration, reduced
size, small litters, and lowered resistance to disease and adverse climatic
conditions. This degeneration has not yet occurred on a large scale because
hogs hove been constantly imported from Slavonia. Degeneration has also been
impeded because many breeds are r-iresented on almoet all farms,
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CONFIDENTI .
Due to the importing of lard-type hogs, Dalmatian pig-raisers have
switched from breeding a combination-type hog to breeding the real lard-type,
which ordinarily ranges in the woods and forests and in pastures until fattening..
However, since farmers do not have such woods and pastures, they have to feed
these hogs from infancy with expensive feed, which is never sufficient. Conse-
quently, hog breeding is declining rather rapidly on large fa:.-ms and the
SRZ, because of the lack of fodder. The same is true of state farms.
Even the private farms have been affected, although they are still
breeding remnants of the old improved breeds, which Dalmatian farmers value
because of their length, fertility, rapid growth, and the excellent hams
which they yield.
There are enough improved German hogs on private and state farms Vat
some could be transferred to the SRZ and collective-farm herds and thus
saved. Because of the high fertility of this hog, such action would not
be too expensive, nor would it take a long period of time.
In general, the number of hogs in Dalmatia is sufficient; considering
the amount of fodder available, there are perhaps too many. Individual
farmers are making efforts to raise hogs, using all possible sources of
feed and even bringing in feed from other localities,
Poultr
Poultry raising has not reached the prewar peak, and has suffered
greatly from epidemics. On the state farms, duck raising has increased.
Additional incubator stations have been installed and more hens are being
raised. Cooperative farms as such do not engage in poultry raising, this
branch of activity being left for the cooperative member's private garden
area, where he keeps approximately the same amount of poultry as befcre
the war. There is no indication that private farmers are significantly
increasing their flocks.
Native chickens are found generally throughout Dalmatia, as well
as crosses of improved breedc.
E 1'~
MITI
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