Re: Pamplona Death
 

well, there may be a few, but the point remains the same

Man isnt going to give them land unless they are useful

Re: Pamplona Death
 

they are actually feral cattle.

Re: Pamplona Death
 

Wonder if you mean feral in the sense of a domestic breed gone wild?

I know the possibility has been mentioned that for a short while some of them may have been domesticated but Im not aware any evidence to back this up.

The general concencus appears to be that they developed from the wild cattle which roamed the great northern forests for thousands of years before even the Romans introduced their cattle into England.

In more recent times there is little doubt that they have bred in a wild state for quite a few hundred years.

Re: Pamplona Death
 

Well thats just what they are. They are a former domesticated breed, almost, but not exactly identical to the White Park, an ancient breed of cattle that was both wild AND domesticated. The fact that they are fenced in makes them a feral breed as well, if they were truly wild they would be free to roam as they pleased. Chillingham itself is a wood pasture, a form of Medieval grazing land found in VERy isolated places still, including Essex. They were perfect places to perform typical medieval dual function farming, the (predominantly) oaks were kept to a height above the grazing height of cattle and deer, the wood was then harvested (coppiced) and that way there was no loss of valuable land.... I digress....

I will say that even by the "experts" opinion CWC are a domesticated breed that have been left to develop as a wild breed, but only in as much as they are almost completely un handled, but thats it. If they interest you at all the Rare Breed Society are trying to sell them as the herd is actually under threat of being dispersed.

Re: Pamplona Death
 

I did hear that the herd had been split in two many moons ago as they could well have been completely wiped out by a foot and mouth outbreak.

Whether that is still the case or there is now only the one herd I dont know..

Re: Pamplona Death
 

There are some odd pairs here and there but since there are only 80 cows left I doubt they will have been split. The National Gene Bank have seamen saved because when I took two of my rams up there a couple of years ago we got to see a few of the straws.

Re: Pamplona Death
 

They will wear those silly tight trousers don't they?:unsure: