Chianina
Italian breed of large white cattle, oldest and largest in the world.
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The Chianina is an Italian breed of large white cattle, originating in the Valdichiana and middle Tiber Valley. Formerly a principal draught breed, it is now raised mainly for beef and is the largest cattle breed by height and weight.
Background
Columella, writing around 55 AD, described oxen from Umbria as 'huge, and of a white colour'. Since World War II the Chianina has become a world breed, raised almost exclusively for high-quality meat. Through export of breeding stock, semen, and embryos, it has reached Australia, China, Russia, Asian countries, and the Americas.
The Chianina is both the tallest and heaviest cattle breed. Calves are born wheaten but turn white within months. The breed is used for cross-breeding, transmitting growth rate, meat quality, and resistance to heat, cold, insects, and disease.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Chianina (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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