The Chianina cow is well one of the vital attention-grabbing cow breeds on this planet proper now
It hails from Italy, the place it was used as a draft and meat animal ever because the days of Etruscans and historical Rome.
However that’s not the oldest information we have now of Chianina cows in identified historical past. These cows had been additionally noticed in the course of the Bronze Age, round Africa and Asia.
The rabbit gap goes even additional than that although. We now have no actual clue after we initially got here throughout the primary Chianina cows.
What we do know although is that they’re nonetheless a viable alternative for lots of people these days.
So, for those who’re concerned with getting your palms on a Chianina cow or two, then it’s your fortunate day. On this article, we will probably be going over all the things you must learn about Chianina cows.
With that being stated, let’s begin with the start:
Historical past and Origins
The oldest information we have now of the Chianina cow breed stem from Italy’s stunning Valdichiana. That is additionally the place the breed acquired its title from.
These cows made fairly a reputation for themselves within the Italian areas of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. They grew to become a really proficient a part of their tradition for no less than 2,200 years now.
Chianina cows had been initially used as a supply of agricultural energy because of their massive measurement and overwhelming power.
This rapidly modified as quickly as mechanization and the autumn of the mezzadria system occurred.
Whereas the breed remained unchanged for hundreds of years, one thing wanted to be finished. It’s because the rates of interest for the Chianina cow breed had been at an all-time low.
So, in 1931 the breeders acquired collectively to vary the breed for good. Here’s what they had been aiming for:
- Higher meat manufacturing
- Shorter limbs
- Longer our bodies
- Extra closely muscled thighs and rumps
Because the years rolled on by, the breeders additionally based mostly their efforts on the next outcomes:
- Sooner progress charge
- Increased meat yield
- Improved maternal capacity
The Chianina cow breed rapidly made a reputation for itself all over the world for its adaptability and hardiness.
The primary purpose behind that is its survival in the course of the malaria age prior to now. This provoked a sort of pure choice that made it so solely the hardiest and strongest animals handed on their genes.
These days, the Chianina cow breed is revered as one of the vital comfy choices round.
These cows are very hardy, they’re low-maintenance animals they usually yield lots of revenue.
Their meat is prominently utilized in eating places and they’re identified for being a very good possibility for households too.
An amazing majority of the fashionable Chianina cows may be present in Arezzo, the place 6,000 heads reside.
Ever because the Nineteen Sixties, the Chianina cows had been particularly bred for the manufacturing of high-quality meat.
The primary purpose behind this alternative is that agricultural duties grew to become much more mechanized.
So, to avoid wasting the breed from going extinct, efforts had been made to boost its best-selling level.
In 1966, a register was created by the Nationwide Affiliation of Beef Cattle Breeders. Here’s what they had been aiming for:
- To enhance their muscle mass
- To enhance their pace of progress
- To refine the primary promoting traits of the breed
Foremost Traits of the Chianina Cows
As one of many largest cattle breeds on this planet, the Chianina cows have rather a lot to stay as much as.
That is very true as a result of they’re additionally the tallest and heaviest breed of cattle.
Whereas they often are available white, there are additionally lots of gray Chianina cows you could come throughout in Italy.
Chianina cows even have very slight gray shading round their eyes and on the foreparts.
It’s a horned breed, so for those who had been hoping to return throughout a polled Chianina cow, you’re out of luck sadly.
Their pores and skin, hooves, swap, muzzle in addition to the ideas of their horns will all the time be black.
Their horns have the next traits:
- They’re fairly quick
- They’re curved forwards
- They’re black coloured however as they get older, they have a tendency to grow to be lighter
By far their most defining trait is their in depth and well-defined muscling.
These was once very sturdy draft animals in order that they don’t have any downside packing on much more muscle than the typical cow.
Their shoulders are additionally value noting, as they’re nearly unnaturally well-formed.
Their legs are longer than the typical cattle breed, and their faces are usually each lengthy and straight on the similar time.
Whereas they’re very massive animals, their udders are very small in comparison with the remainder of their physique.
They can be utilized for milk manufacturing, though it’s not really helpful.
As a result of their massive frames, they want lots of meals to get via the day.
So, disregarding their measurement and as an alternative solely elevating them for his or her milk just isn’t really helpful within the slightest.
Chianina Cows Look
Chianina cows are among the largest cattle you’ll ever come throughout. So far as their colour spectrum is anxious, they’re both white or grey.
Each the cows and the bulls sport black pores and skin alongside black horns and a black tail. Their horns are categorized as small, they usually flip lighter because the animals age.
Their heads are lengthy and straight, and their our bodies are extraordinarily muscular.
Their legs and toes are lengthy and powerful, which is a testomony to their previous draft days.
The calves are often born gentle brown, and as they age their colour adjustments to white or grey relying on their genes.
Chianina Cow Dimension
Chianina cows are very massive, they often vary between 2,000 and a couple of,200lbs or 900 to 1000kg every.
The bulls then again are even bigger. They have an inclination to weigh round 2,800 to three,000lbs or 1270 to 1360kg every.
So far as their different measurements are involved, Chianina cows have a tendency to face at 5ft or 1.52m tall.
The bulls are once more on the bigger aspect of the spectrum, reaching heights of as much as 5ft8 or 1.72m every.
Milk Manufacturing
Whereas they’re proficient meat producers, Chianina cows are pretty lackluster when it comes to milk manufacturing.
They’ve very small udders which is a telltale signal of the truth that they had been by no means bred to be dairy animals.
As an alternative, these cows had been primarily bred for the next makes use of:
- For work functions as draft animals
- As beef producers
Through the first three months after calving, most Chianina cows will produce round 3 gallons of milk every day.
There are a couple of strains of Chianinas on the market that may produce round 5 gallons of milk per day too.
Remember the fact that these cows are inclined to price a bit extra and are rather a lot tougher to return by.
Nonetheless, you may get your palms on them, you simply must discover a specialised vendor or breeder.
Chianina Cattle Breeding
Bulls are particularly sought-after for breeding functions.
That is principally as a result of they’re a very talked-about alternative with regards to creating higher animals with the next traits:
- A hybrid vigor
- Sooner progress charges
On prime of that, Chianina cows are identified for having lots of benefits that may be handed on to their offspring.
For instance, they’ve a better twin charge they usually’re identified for his or her ease of calving.
You must also know that whereas most cows’ gestation interval is 9 months, this doesn’t apply to Chianina cows.
Their gestation interval tends to final a couple of days or perhaps a few weeks longer than the typical cow’s.
They greater than make up for this by being freed from genetic ailments although.
It is a large promoting level for Chianina cows as they are often safely crossbred with most different cow breeds.
On the similar time, they don’t have any unhealthy traits that they go on to their offspring outdoors of the longer gestation interval.
Chianina Cattle Temperament and Conduct
One of many greatest promoting factors of the Chianina cow breed is its docile temperament.
These cows are identified for being very simple to deal with, particularly so for rookies.
Again within the day, they had been used as draft animals by people who had little to no expertise elevating them.
Nonetheless, they made for an excellent decide since they had been massive and powerful sufficient to deal with most area work round.
So, they had been used rather a lot again within the day, which led to them turning into very docile and pleasant animals.
Whereas it isn’t a assure, their docile temperament may also be handed on to their offspring normally.
Chianina Cow Hardiness
As talked about, Chianina cows are extraordinarily hardy, to the purpose the place they very not often have any well being scares.
They’re additionally identified for having the ability to survive in areas with little to no pasture.
They’ve very lengthy legs and difficult hooves too, which helps them stroll longer distances and not using a downside.
This trait is usually because of the truth that they needed to stroll lengthy distances throughout drought to search out meals and forage.
On prime of that, the truth that they lived in Italy for thus lengthy is a testomony to their warmth tolerance.
These cows can do all of it, and extra. This isn’t to say that they by no means get sick, simply that they are usually very hardy as a breed.
This hardiness may also be handed on to their offspring too, which is a really sought-after function.
Chianina Meat Manufacturing
With regards to the meat manufacturing of the Chianina cow breed, it is among the finest choices on the market.
What makes it distinctive is that it is among the few breeds that doesn’t profit from force-feeding.
This makes investing in Chianina cows a really moral option to make because it means you’re not supporting their abuse.
As an alternative, the bullock may be butchered round 20 months in, based mostly on the next:
- Their meat will need to have excessive ranges of organoleptic properties
- It additionally must have particular dietary values that they solely acquire on the 20-month mark
The meat is often described as such:
Their meat additionally has excessive protein and is low in ldl cholesterol. This makes it a very talked-about alternative for people who must do bodily demanding jobs every day.
It’s most popularly used as a basic steak, however it’s also utilized in lots of native dishes equivalent to the next:
- Il lesso
- Spezzatino
- Stufato
- Tossobuco
- Trippa
- Il Sugo
Chianina beef can be very talked-about amongst people who apply sports activities. It’s because Chianina beef has excessive quantities of vitamins whereas additionally being very gentle and simple to digest.
Older folks additionally enjoy the truth that Chianina meat has fewer energy in addition to extra protein than the typical meat.
Couple that with the low ranges of ldl cholesterol and you’ll rapidly see why Chianina meat is so beloved in Italy and all over the world.
Ought to You Get a Chianina Cow?
In case you are primarily on the lookout for a cow that may obtain the next targets, contemplate getting your self a Chianina cow:
- A big beef yield
- A superb draft cow
- A low-maintenance animal
- A good milk producer
- A superb possibility for breeding functions
On the similar time, you must keep distant from the Chianina cow breed in case you are on the lookout for the next:
- An inexpensive cow
- An amazing dairy possibility
- An simply accessible cow
How A lot Does a Chianina Cow Value?
Earlier than we reply this query, we first want to elucidate why we could also be incorrect.
It’s because the value fluctuates rather a lot based mostly on sure elements that we will’t predict with out essential background data.
Nonetheless, you possibly can assess how a lot you possibly can anticipate to pay on your Chianina cow by contemplating the next:
- Age – Youthful Chianina cows are all the time going to price lower than mature cows
- Pedigree – The Chianina cow’s lineage will affect its closing worth. Purebreds price much more than each crossbred and combined breeds
- Location – In case you occur to be residing in Italy, Chianina cows will probably be rather a lot cheaper than if that you must have the cows imported to your basic location
- Present market situations – The market demand and provide drive the ultimate worth of the Chianina cow, because it does to every other commodity
With that being stated, the typical Chianina cow will price you between $2,500 and $5,000.
The value can vary rather a lot based mostly on the aforementioned elements although.
Earlier than you buy the cow, you must all the time analysis the breeder or vendor. In any case, for those who purchase a sickly animal, it doesn’t matter for those who saved some huge cash within the course of, it’s a unhealthy buy.
On prime of that, don’t forget to issue within the following too:
- The meals prices
- The well being checkups
- The shelter prices
Conclusion
The Chianina cattle are all the time going to make for an excellent possibility because of their hardiness.
Even when different choices give you extra marketable meat, only a few breeds can match its well being advantages.
So, in case you are on the lookout for a docile cow breed that’s simple to deal with, don’t miss out on the Chianina cow breed.
They’re additionally wonderful foragers and are much more proof against bugs and ailments than different home breeds.
Whereas they aren’t the most effective milk producers, they’ll nonetheless produce sufficient to care for his or her calves.
