Galloway cattle in Donaumoos: Experts exchange tips in Illdorf!

Galloway cattle in Donaumoos: Experts exchange tips in Illdorf!

The Donaumoos team's grazing working group took a look around the KLösch/Langer organic farm in Illdorf. The aim of the visit was to gain valuable insights into Galloway husbandry and to exchange practical tips. The initiative for these farm tours clearly came from the grazers themselves, who have made contact at previous networking meetings primarily through information evenings and excursions. Danube Courier reports that Samir KLösch and Christine Langer keep a total of 61 Galloway cattle on 32 hectares, spread over two different areas.

KLösch, who has been running his organic farm since 2011 alongside his work as an accountant, introduced visitors to his fence control system during a device demonstration. “We have a wolf-proof fence that stretches an impressive four kilometers!” says KLösch. The feeding areas on the Leitenbach, which have been partially renatured, also offer a varied diet for the robust Galloway cattle that are used for landscape maintenance.

Robust landscapers

The shaggy Galloway cattle are not only easy to keep, they are also extremely resilient. With their shoulder height of around 1.30 meters, they are relatively small, but robust and ideal for year-round grazing. They eat not only grass, but also wild plants such as thistles, nettles and reeds. South Courier emphasizes that the Galloways are not classic stable animals and can largely look after themselves.

An example of the use of these special cattle is the Lippertsreuter pond landscape in Überlingen, where they help maintain the meadows and bank areas. Here the Galloways help create habitats for rare and endangered species. This grazing project was launched in collaboration with the Heinz Sielmann Foundation to promote and preserve the species-rich nature.

Long-term collaboration and planning

After the informative exchange in Illdorf, the next meetings of the grazing working group are already being planned. Interested grazers are invited to contact the Donaumoos team by email for further information. The importance of Galloway farming as part of landscape management cannot be underestimated. The targeted use of animals can not only promote agriculture, but also make an important contribution to nature conservation.

It shows once again: There is something going on in the region, and the Galloway cattle are a very important part of it. Grazing with these robust cattle is very popular and offers numerous opportunities for the sustainable care of our landscapes.