Breeds of Almaty and the Alatau pastures
The mountain pastures above Almaty, home of the Alatau cattle bred in the twentieth century from Swiss and Kazakh stock.
Breeds of this place
Best time: June to September, when the summer pastures are open.
Almaty lies at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau, the northern wall of the Tian Shan. Above the city, alpine meadows called jailau have been summer pastures for Kazakh herders for centuries. In the mid twentieth century, state farms in the region bred a new dual-purpose cattle breed, the Alatau, by crossing local Kazakh and Kyrgyz cattle with Swiss Brown bulls.
The Alatau breed
Alatau cattle are brown, sturdy and adapted to mountain grazing, cold winters and hot summers. They were officially recognised in 1950. The same era produced the Kazakh Whiteheaded, a beef breed bred from Hereford bulls and local Kazakh and Kalmyk cattle to suit the dry steppe. Both breeds are kept across Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries.
The jailau
In early summer, herders drive cattle, sheep and horses up to the jailau, where they live in yurts or simple huts until autumn. Milk from the high pastures is made into butter, kurt (dried salted curd) and fermented drinks. Kazakhstan's grasslands and steppes cover a vast area, and livestock remain central to rural life and to Kazakh hospitality.
A trail idea for Almaty and the Alatau pastures
- Almaty The city at the foot of the mountains, with its green bazaar.
- Medeu valley A mountain valley above the city, leading toward summer pastures.
- Big Almaty Lake A high lake in the Trans-Ili Alatau.
- Green Bazaar Almaty's central market, with dairy, kurt and meat stalls.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Trans-Ili Alatau" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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