The Calvana is a cattle breed from
Tuscany, in central Italy. It is particularly associated with the
Calvana region in the
provinces of
Florence and
Prato, but is also raised in the provinces of
Pistoia and
Siena. It was previously considered a type within the
Chianina breed, but is now recognised as a separate breed. A herdbook was opened in 1985.[1] It is one of the 16 minor Italian cattle breeds of limited diffusion recognised and protected by the
Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture.[2]
Uses
The Calvana was in the past raised as a dual-purpose breed, for meat and as a
draught animal;[3] it is now raised exclusively for meat. Animals are slaughtered between 15 and 21 months old, when they weigh 500–700 kg; average yield is 59.2%, slightly lower than that of the Chianina.[4]
References
^Breed data sheet: Calvana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2013.
^Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole.
ISBN9788850652594. p. 16–17.
^Pierlorenzo Secchiari (co-ordinator) (2007).
Scheda di Razza: Calvana (in Italian). Conference papers, Salvaguardia e valorizzazione del patrimonio zootecnico autoctono della Regione Toscana con riferimento alle seguenti razze: Bovini: Calvana, Garfagnina, Pontremolese; Ovini: Garfagnina Bianca, Pomarancina, Zerasca. Regione Toscana, Università di Pisa, Università di Firenze. Accessed December 2013.
These are the
cattle breeds considered in Italy to be wholly or partly of Italian origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Italian.