Chianina: Breeding the biggest and most aggressive cattle in the world
FROM a distance Chianina cattle look like any normal breed, but up close it’s easy to see why they are known as the biggest cattle in the world.
And, get too close, you might find out why they are also regarded as the most aggressive cattle in the world.
Originating in Italy over 2,200 years ago, Chianina cattle, known as ‘the white giant,’ were first bred to be strong draught cattle, using their immense frame and power to plough the land.
Fast-forward a few centuries, and Chianina cattle are now favoured for their quality meat production, with fast growth rates of over 2kgs per day.
Typically, Chianina bulls can stand up to 2m tall and weigh in at over 1,600kgs. The breed has a 60% to 65% kill-out rate reaching the optimum carcase weight of 650kgs in 16 to 18 months. Calves normally are born weighing 50kgs.
Although not so plentiful in overall cattle numbers, there are many dedicated breeders in Italy that produce Chianina cattle achieving top prices in the country.
Brothers Daniele and Dario Mecarelli run the Agricola Collivecchi farm extending to 440 hectares near the town of Morre in Italy’s Umbria region.
The farm is broken down into 270 hectares of woods, 10 hectares olive trees, 10 hectares truffles cultivation, five hectares orchard, and the remaining 145 hectares designated to grow crops and grass for their Chianina herd.
As the Umbria region is popular for tourism the brothers also run a guest house and restaurant on the farm, which accounts for 50 percent of their income.
There are currently 70 cattle in the herd, including 31 cows, 12 heifers, 24 stock for fattening, two young heifers and one bull.
Daniele said: “Some of our land is quite rocky and hilly with poor soil, so it is best utilised for free range pasture grazing for the cows.
“We have been breeding the Chianina cattle for a long time and produce meat to sell privately and through the local rural association.
“Chianina cattle are excellent foragers, have good heat and sun tolerance, and have better resistance to disease and insects than other domestic breeds.
“They really are the giants of the cattle word with males reaching two metres tall and females 1.6 metres. Males can weigh up to 1.8 tonnes and the females 1.14 tonnes.
“For us the main advantages of the breed are the growth rates and the meat quality. The Chianina cattle are good mothers, but they can be quite aggressive. One other negative, though, is that the females are three years old before they produce their first calf,” he said.
The meat has high fat marbling, is very nutritious, juicy and is PDO protected. Each of the 18 main cuts is branded with the 5R symbol of the Consorzio Produttori Carne Bovina Pregiata delle Razze Italiane (consortium of producers of quality beef from Italian breeds).
“The meat is hung for at least 15 days,” said Daniele. “We receive around 6.2 euros per kg for the males and 7.1 euros per kg for the females.
“Prices were higher around two years ago and right now we are selling more meat direct to consumers via the consortium, effectively cutting out more of the middle men to leave more profit for us as the primary producers.”
All the cows are vaccinated around three months before calving, and when born, the young animals stay with their mothers for up to six months before weaning.
Daniele then continues to feed the beef cattle to their finishing age of 17 months old with an ad-lib ration, mostly grown locally on his own farm or neighbours.
This ration consists of 40% corn, 20% barley, 20% triticale, 5% soyabeans and the rest in minerals and other ingredients.
Daniele receives 150 euros per hectare as a subsidy from the European Union, which helps his farming costs that are inflated due to the nature of his land.
“Yes, the subsidy helps us maintain the land and the forests,” he said. “Costs have risen here like everywhere else, particularly with feed.
“Our farm is sited 580m above sea level in somewhat of a micro climate, usually with low rainfall and well sheltered from winds.
“Normally we are self-sufficient in our hay production but recent droughts meant there was very little growth and we had to buy in fodder.”
There is no threat of bluetongue in Daniele’s region but he does vaccinate his cattle for parasites and other diseases.
When it comes to breeding, Daniele and his brother are very much mindful of the aggressive nature of the Chianina cattle and are trying to produce calmer stock.
Daniele said: “First we choose the best replacement heifers we have to breed from and then we carefully select a bull based on its aggressive scale.
“We use bulls rather than AI so we have to ensure they are quiet with a gentle temperament. There is a certified book of genetics that we can refer to in order to examine the bloodlines.
“Normally a bull can cost anything from 4,000 to 8,000 euros, so we need to choose carefully. The Chianina breed has also a good longevity and we have culled breeding cows of up to 18 years old,” he added.
Chianina cattle have important roots in US
The first Chianina born in the US was a black half-blood Chianina x Angus/Holstein bull calf, born in January 1972 in California.
Later that year, the American Chianina Association was established in Kansas City, MO and has around 1,000 members and 300,000 registered head of cattle.
The breed was successfully crossed with British breeds in the US to reduce the fat content of meat, and was favoured for fast growth rates.
Its natural adaption to rough terrains in the US was another benefit the Chianina breed had to farmers, making them a cost efficient animal to produce.
