Istoben are dairy cattle that originated near the village of
Istobensk, in the Kirov region of Russia.
The historical origin of the Istoben breed of cows, goes
back to the times of settlement of the Vyatka River. Settlers from northern
Russia, who in the 14th century firmly established themselves on the banks of
the river, brought cattle of fairly large size to these lands. In the late 19th
century these cattle were crossbred with Shvitsk, Kholmogorsk, Yaroslavl, and
Ostfries cattle. The result is the modern Istobensk cattle.
They are black and motley, often with a white stripe along
the ridge to the waist. They are not tall, their height at the withers is
124-126 cm. The weight of the adult cow is 430-480 kg, the bull is 750-900 kg,
their record is 1050 kg. They calves weight at birth 26-30 kg. Their neck is
thin, with many small folds of thin, supple skin. Their chest is not wide
(37-40 cm), but deep (64-70 cm).
Their milk productivity on the average 3000-3700 kg, fat
content 3.80-5.10%, protein content in milk 3.3-3.5%.