Ukrainian Grey
(most common name)

(local/other name):
• Sira Ukrainska
local/other name (English):
• Ukrainian Grey Steppe
local/other name (Russian):
• Seraya ukrainskaya (= Grey Ukrainian)
• Seroukrainskaya (= Grey Ukrainian)
• Украинская степь Серый
(historical breed name):
• Black Sea cattle
• Cherkassian
• Malorussian (= small Russian)

The Ukrainian Grey is a Podolian Grey Steppe cattle breed. Southwest Ukraine (formerly Podolia) is considered geographically to be one of the initial development areas for Grey Steppe cattle during the twelfth to fourteenth centuries.

There is disagreement on the year of the first Ukrainian Grey herdbook:

• 1909 - herdbook established, according to DAD-IS
• 1910 - Ukrainian Grey officially recognized
• 1928 - herdbook established, according to Felius (Encyclopedia 1995)
• 1935 - herdbook established, according to Mason (Dictionary 2020); breed association formed, according to Felius (Encyclopedia 1995)

In 1935, the Ukrainian Grey accounted for 6.4% of the cattle in Ukraine. Due to crossbreeding, the Ukrainian Grey declined and in 1982 the total population did not exceed 1,000 animals. However, a Ukrainian Grey conservation program is reported to have existed since the 1960s. There were three conservation herds in 2011; there are now two conservation herds as of 2019 with a population of 912. Both semen and embryos are in store.

Podolian cattle breeds have calves born with a fawn to reddish coat that turns grey or white after about five months of maturing.

This page was last updated on: 2023-07-10

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