Romanian transhumance

         Transhumance is the seasonal movement of flocks of sheep, together with some donkeys, goats, horses and cattle moving to summer and winter mountain pastures to lowland pastures and meadows, pastures placed, often hundreds of miles.

Sheep on alpine meadow

          It emerged and developed as an economic necessity for sheep breeders who do not have in areas of origin, the resources needed for growth and feed the sheep operation. In Europe, transhumance is practiced in Scandinavia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania. Nomadic Sami people of Scandinavia, partly domesticated reindeer shifts between regions.

In Romania, the sheep has always had a remarkable importance in the agrarian economy. There is a real pastoral communities, which are classified into several groups.

           Limited transhumance (semitranshumanţa) consists of sheep movements, especially Turcan, rarely pans, at distances of 30-80 km during summer, after cutting, depression and mountainous areas to the mountain pastures. For autumn, the sheep are returning again in villages or rooms (built wooden sheds near the village meadow 6-12 km) where the hills are fed with hay, corn stalks, foliage and small amounts of concentrated (100 - 200 gr / day). This type of transhumance is specific areas: Arges, Buzau, Vrancea, Sebes, Haţeg, Bistrita-Nasaud.

shepherd

           Transhumance classical (traditional) is made much greater distances (100-500 km) by swinging between the mountains and plains, to effectively use all available forage resources (pasture mountain, stubble, hay aftermath, etc..). This type of transhumance is practiced, usually sheep farmers with larger herds in the mountain areas.

           In Romania, transhumance keeps the same features as 1000 years ago, due to the simplicity and rustic crafts, for thousands of year, of romanian people.

Traditional milking