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Cattle:Wild | Musky Ox | Hârnic | Ivinian | Shorkein
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Shorkein Cattle
The Shorkein cattle are the most docile and easy to manage breeds. They are known for a long straight top-line with deeply muscled back and loin. The females have a productive lifetime of ten to twelve years and high milk production. Shorkein cattle are spotted, occasionally with just a few white markings. The color varies from pale gold to dark reddish brown. The head is usually white in front of the eyes with the lower parts of the legs also largely white. They are suited to all-purpose crossing with smaller breeds.
Shorkein cattle trace their ancestry back to Ivinian cattle, although many claim it is the other way around. Shorkein cattle often breed with Hârnic cattle as well to improve temperament of the Hârnic breed.
Shorkein cattle can range up to 20 KM in a day, although they usually do not stray far from a good source of food. If lost, Shorkein cattle will wander, and try to join the first herd they find. Even sexually-mature males are welcomed into a herd so long as they do not try to mate with any of the heifers. Cattle will rarely stray from good fodder and are easy to herd as they shy away from sharp movements and loud noises.
Shorkein cattle are bred primarily for their milk and meat. They are found throughout north-western.
There are five recognized breeds of Shorkein cattle, each with a distinctive specialty. Crossbreeding between these, Hârnic and Ivinian cattle have produced whole herds of cross-breeds that are not officially recognized. In Shorkein half-breed cattle are far more common than pure breeds. The recognized breeds are:
- Poxer - An almost fully black milk cow prized for its pelt. Their horns often reached a foot or more in length.
- Belted Thierzie - a large, milk heavy cow, with a belt of white around its middle. The rest of its hide is black.
- Avastra - a small cow that produces milk with over 1/3 cream (as opposed to 1/5).
- Elavonian - a red or roan-colored cow (often mixed) that does well in wet lands.
- Buttery - supposedly the first cow from which butter was easily made. Experts say it produces more cream than the Avastra.
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On Breeds and breeding
Cattle breeds are only important due to their specialization. Some manor lords wish to raise cattle for meat, others for milk. All manor lords want the most out of any animal that they must pay for. Breeding is a dangerous process. Try to breed a bull that's too big for your heifer and she might die - either during the breeding (crushed by the bull) or during calving. Try to breed a bull that's too small for your heifer and the calf will come out so small that it will have to be hand-reared to survive. Easy if you've only bred one cow; difficult if you've bred 15-50.
Herders often spend months in discussion before making recommendations about which bulls (of any herd) to breed with which heifers. Discussions are longer if the bulls are of a different species from the heifer. Bulls are traded from time to time between nearby manors, but bulls rarely travel far from home.
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HMIII Rules
| Habitat | Lowland forest, plains |
| Height | 150-160 CM |
| Weight | 650 KG |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Life span | 10-12 years |
| Group | 5-50 |
| Price |
| Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Str | 10 | Eye | 04 | Int | 19 | End |
| 13 | Sta | 18 | Hrg | 05 | Aur | 28 | Mov |
| 11 | Agl | 16 | Sml | 10 | Wil | ||
| Skills | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Initiative | 60 | Awareness |
| 65 | Dodge | 55 | Horn 7p |
| 44 | Trample 6B | 52 | Stealth |
| 40 | Bite 1P | 40 | Swimming |
| Armor |
|---|
| B4 E3 P1 F3 (except eyes) |
| Strike Locations | |
|---|---|
| 01-12 | Head |
| 13-20 | Neck |
| 21-30 | · Fore Leg |
| 31-60 | · Flank (thorax) |
| 61-75 | Abdomen |
| 76-90 | · Quarter (hip) |
| 91-98 | · Hind Leg |
| 99-00 | Tail |
| · Odd = Left, Even = Right | |
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Market Value
| Item | d | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | 2d/lb. | Manor/Market |
| Sweet Meats | 3d/lb. | Manor/Market |
| Pelt | 8d | Manor/Market |
| Vellum | 1f | Hide worker |
| Eyes | 1f/ea. | Manor/Market |
| Hooves/Horns | 1d/set | Manor/Market |
| Leather | 12d | Hide worker |
| Hide | 10d | Hide worker |
| Milk/Butter | 2d/pt. | Manor/Market |
| Cheese | 2d/lb. | Manor/Market |
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April 25, 2005
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authors, 2002.