Johann Taugner with his young
steer. For the advancement of cattle breeding, dairy farms were established in
Winga and Modosch in 1721 and stocked with breeding
animals from the alpine countries. The crossing of
Simmentaler cattle with Speckled Swiss animals, started
at that time and pursued to the present, finally yielded
a native Banat-Simmental-Speckled Swiss breed having a
productive capacity of 5,000 pounds of milk per year.
(Nikolaus Engelmann, 1961,
Die Banater Schwaben, English: The Banat Germans by John Michels. Translation
by Diana Lambing provides insight into what breeds of
horse and cattle were used particularly in the
Banat.
Sheep
A country-wide saying goes, 'Biene unn Schoof pringe des
Geld im Schloof' (Bees and sheep bring money during
sleep). With the farming of the fallow land, breeding of
both dropped considerably. The Zigajaschaf (sheep) of
the Banat lowlands had a much better wool quality and
production (1.5 - 2.5 kg) than the Zurkanaschaf of the
Romanian mountains, although still not satisfactory.
So a change in breed was yet again made through the
Deutsche Volksgruppe - they bought 12 elite rams & 300
ewes from nearly a hundred of the best herds in Germany
& set up a stock in Orczydorf. They also crossbred the
flock with the Merino ram. Unfortunately this attempt
came to nothing.
(Nikolaus Engelmann, 1961,
Die Banater Schwaben, English: The Banat Germans by John Michels. Translation by Diana Lambing)
(Alexanderhausen Heimatbuch,
translated by Diana Lambing)
Photos taken by J. McKim, '04 in
Billed at the home of Adam & Roswitha Csonti
Swine
As for breeds of swine, the
established Mangalitzschwein was partly replaced by the
English Berkshire and Yorkshire breeds for better meat
quality. In the end, the Yorkshire made the running and
the German community of Ostern became pioneering
breeders, followed by Warjasch and Lowrin. However,
problems with blindness and danger of suffocation as a
result of its pug-face, fundamental anatomical defects,
meant another change of breed, this time to the Deutsche Edelschwein. Closer contacts with Germany and
Siebenbürgen were made and after crossbreeding had not
delivered the success it had hoped for, good breeding
animals were bought in from Ammerland and Schlesien in
Germany and from Marienburg in Siebenbürgen. Thereafter,
breeding stations were set up in the Banat purely
for the breeding of pigs for their meat.
(Nikolaus Engelmann, 1961,
Die Banater Schwaben, English: The Banat Germans by John Michels. Translation by Diana Lambing)
Horses
Horse
breeding had already achieved a fine reputation
very early in the history of the Banat and remained influential until the recent past because of the exemplary
selection methods and the breeding results. The horse
owes its unsurpassed positions in large animal raising to
the poor roads and often long distances to the fields
which resulted from the splintering of the land ownership
through the years. This led to the breeding of light and
unpretentious breeds such as the Nonius and the Gidran....
After World War I, in
the course of more intensive working of the land,
the German agricultural school at Wotjek
attempted, with excellent success, to cross the
Nonius with heavier strains like the Oldenburger
and Trakehner.
(Alexanderhausen Heimatbuch,
translation by Diana Lambing)
Chickens & Geese
The traditional chickens, with
their poor egg-laying productivity and moderate meat
yield, took a lot of endeavors to get right. People
tried with the light Leghorn and the heavier
Wyandotte, Plymouth and Rhode Island breeds. The
switch-over only became general when the central
agricultural co-operative set up a large poultry
slaughter and egg utilization center in Temeschburg. The
old egg-laying hens were delivered to the ubiquitous milk
collecting points to be fattened up in exchange for
day-old chicks of the preferred breed.
(Alexanderhausen
Heimatbuch, translation by Diana Lambing)
Photos taken by J. McKim,
2004, Billed, home of Adam & Roswitha Csonti
Storks
This stork nest is built
on top of a power post. Take notice the whitewash
on the power post and also on the trees in the
background. This was done for decorations, it
also protects trees from being damaged from
insects and animals.
