Тhe practice of the seasonal droving of livestock entails the seasonal migration of livestock (mostly cattle and sheep) and shepherds between mountain pastures in the summer, and lower regions in the winter. Depending on the weather, the migration usually lasts from spring (around St. George Day) until the autumn (around St. Demetrius Day). The migration encompasses herds from a number of different households voluntarily associated, with a system of mutual obligations. The organization of the transhumance is the obligation of the shepherd, who, along with his own herd, drives the cattle of other owners - mostly people with whom he has cooperated for years. In Eastern Serbia shepherd and his assistants, can spend the whole grazing period in the bačija, or take turns in certain intervals. In Western Serbia (pars of the Pešter highland) whole families move to the katuni with their livestock, and can spend more than 6 months at a time in the mountains.
The community that practices the seasonal droving of livestock is mostly made up of individuals – shepherds (čobani) and the owners of livestock and their households – family farms. They associate (informally) in order to organize the movement of livestock to pastures, the guarding of the livestock, on specific locations that are made to accommodate this (bačije – Eastern Serbia; katuni – Western Serbia) as well as the milking and processing of milk.
The community that practices издиг (izdig), the seasonal droving of livestock, is mostly made up of individuals – shepherds and the owners of livestock and their households – family farms. They associate (informally) in order to organize the movement of livestock to pastures, the guarding of the livestock, on specific locations that are made to accommodate this (bačije – Eastern Serbia; katuni – Western Serbia) as well as the milking and processing of milk.
