Dengchuan Cattle

Dengchuan Cattle

　　A renowned local breed in China and a homegrown dairy cow variety—Dengchuan Cattle—is the only yellow cattle breed in the country used for milk production. It adapts well to high temperatures, tolerates coarse feed, and produces milk with high levels of milk protein, butterfat, and dry matter, along with low somatic cell counts. It is a good raw material for processing traditional ethnic foods such as Rushan (milk fan), as well as for making premium cheese. Due to years of overdevelopment and insufficient protection, the breed has disappeared from the central dam area of Eryuan and is now only found in some mountainous regions, with its population declining year by year. Starting in 1959, in the dam area, using Dengchuan Cattle as the foundation herd, Holstein cattle were introduced for stepwise crossbreeding to improve the breed, resulting in the development of Dengchuan Black-and-White Dairy Cattle. After more than 50 years of improvement and breeding, Dengchuan Black-and-White Dairy Cattle spread throughout Yunnan and to provinces and cities such as Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, and Guangxi. It is estimated that the number of Dengchuan Black-and-White Dairy Cattle with Dengchuan Cattle lineage exceeds 200,000, including 65,000 in Eryuan County alone by the end of 2009. With the increasing number of Dengchuan Black-and-White Dairy Cattle being raised, Dengchuan Cattle began to disappear from the dam area and can now only be found in mountainous and semi-mountainous regions. Starting in 1997, in the mountainous areas, Dengchuan Cattle were again used as the foundation herd, and Simmental and Shorthorn cattle were introduced for crossbreeding to improve the breed and develop the beef cattle industry. At present, the number of purebred Dengchuan Cattle has become extremely small. According to records, in 1959, there were 28,200 Dengchuan Cattle in the county; by 1980, the number had dropped to 13,700; and by December 2006, only 554 remained, including 546 cows and 8 bulls. The herd has suffered from inbreeding and inadequate feeding and management, leading to a decline in dairy traits. The breed is now endangered and on the verge of extinction, urgently requiring protection by relevant authorities.

　　　　Main Characteristics: The breed has a refined body structure with good overall conformation. The coat is mostly yellow, accounting for 26%. Other colors include purplish-red (22%), black (15%), light straw (8%), reddish-yellow (6%), and others (23%). Black cattle may have a red or purplish-red back stripe. The head is small and short, with short, slender horns. Bulls have slightly higher shoulder humps, while cows lack them. The back and loin are long and level, the forequarters are slightly narrow, the chest is deep, the rump is sloped, and the tail is long and thin, often extending past the hock joint. The udder is relatively small with short teats. Adult height: bulls 107.8 cm, cows 103.5 cm. Adult weight: bulls 239 kg, cows 228 kg. Peak daily milk yield is 11 kg, with a butterfat content of 5.58% and dry matter content in milk of 14.83%. Slaughter rate is 46.4%, net meat rate is 35.9%, and eye muscle area is 64.2 square centimeters. Reproduction rate is 82.5%.

　　　　Conservation Status: Currently, relevant authorities have taken note of the status of Dengchuan Cattle and recognized the importance and urgency of conserving its genetic resources. Leaders and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and agricultural departments at the provincial and prefectural levels have visited Eryuan County to guide the conservation efforts for Dengchuan Cattle, actively setting conservation goals and breeding plans for the breed. In 2008 and 2009, the higher-level authorities allocated 100,000 yuan and 290,000 yuan respectively for conservation funding. Local animal husbandry departments promptly implemented conservation measures, conducting identification and selection work across Eryuan County. Through strict selection, a total of 72 cattle (including 8 bulls) with distinct Dengchuan Cattle breed characteristics were selected and centralized for breeding in two demonstration sites: Zhenshi Village in Jiaoshi Village Committee, Yousuo Town, and Guipi Village in Jiuzhou Village Committee, Dengchuan Town. As the conservation work has just begun, there are still many challenges in terms of funding and technology, requiring long-term support and assistance from all levels and sectors to establish a standardized breeding system and consistently carry out protective breeding efforts. Only then can the superior Dengchuan Cattle be prevented from disappearing.