Kazakh
(most common name in China)
(transboundary/brand name in Kazakhstan, Russia)

(most common name):
• Kazakhskaya (Kazakhstan, Russia)
• Казахская
• Kyrgyzskaya (Kyrgyzstan)
(local/other name):
• Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzstan)
local/other name (English):
• Kirgiz
local/other name (Russian):
• Kirgizskaya

The Kazakh is a Turano-Mongolian breed from China-Mongolia that spread over most of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kirgizia during the mid-1600s.

The Russian Academy of Sciences investigated the Kazakh in 1926–28 and identified two regional types:
• North Kirgiz (or Severo-Kirgiz) - Kazakhstan-Kirgizia, which merged into the Kalmyk
• Central Kirgiz (or Narym) - purest type found in the isolated Narym area in Uzbekistan

The Kazakh is extremely hardy due to surviving harsh weather conditions. Interbreeding with imported exotic breeds depleted their numbers and only remnants of the original cattle can be found in isolated pockets.

Turano-Mongolian, in reference to cattle, refers to a distinctive skull formation that includes:
• a wedge-shaped skull
• a depression on the frontal bone
• a narrow crown
• horns growing straight-up

Some sources confusingly list its Chinese counterpart to be the Hazake, however China lists Hazake and Kazakh as two separate breeds in DAD-IS.

In 1982, China listed a Kazakh population of 600,000. No further population updates have been reported in DAD-IS.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-18

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