Hungarian Grey cattle
The Hungarian Grey cattle is an indigenous and legally protected species in Hungary – a true Hungaricum, with an impressive appearance that is one of the country’s most famous features worldwide. The breed has played an important role in the Hungarian economy for centuries. According to 19th-century scholars, it arrived in the Carpathian Basin with our conquering ancestors. Árpád Feszty’s caricature also depicted a herd of grey cattle. The colour of the animals varies according to their age. Calves are ‘blushing’ at birth, then start to lighten in colour at 2-3 months, later turning grey, and finally turning completely grey at 4-6 months. Adult grey cows range in colour from silver grey to dark crab colour.
Racka sheep
The old Hungarian sheep breed, formerly known as the Hortobágy racka sheep, has been a companion of the Hungarians since the conquest of Hungary. For a long time it was the dominant animal of the lowland shepherds, but a distinction is made between lowland and mountain racka. The Hungarian racka appeared in the Carpathian Basin during the Migration Period, but there is no record of which ethnic group it arrived with. It is telling that our ancestors originally understood the Finno-Ugric word sheep to refer only to racka. Since the second half of the 19th century, the flock size of the fine-wool breeds has been reduced mainly by the merino, so that by 1903 the racka was already in danger of extinction. Its distinctive feature is the straight, V-shaped, straight horn with multiple twists, which is characteristic of both sexes.
Mangalica
The mangalica is a native species, protected by law since 1973. However, the world-famous pig breed is no longer endangered. It is derived from crosses between the ancient Sumadija (Mediterranean) breed and the Salonica and Bakony (semi-wild Carpathian) breeds. Its spread has been facilitated by the fact that it is an outdoor, undemanding breed that has retained many of the characteristics of the wild boar, and has thus spread to all parts of the country in just a few decades. The biggest blow to the breed was the outbreak of swine fever in 1895, which killed 4.5 million pigs, 95% of which were Mangalica. The most striking feature of the Mangalica is the light, thick coat covering the entire body, for which reason it is also known as the ‘lamb pig’.