Pustertal Pied Cattle

Pustertal Pied Cattle (in German: Pustertaler Schecken or Pustertaler Sprinzen) are a rare cattle breed from the Pustertal (or Puster valley) in the Italian province of Bolzano-Bozen.

Origin

The breed was developed in the Pustertal and its side valleys by crossing Swiss Herens cattle with the local breed. In the nineteenth century some breeders crossed in Pinzgau cattle. After the ending of inspection for bull licensing through a Decree of the Agrarian Inspectorate 1927 the cattle breed collapsed. Only since 1984 has importance again been attached to the breeding of these cattle.

Characteristics

The animals are basically white with chestnut-brown to light brown or black plaques on the flanks that dissolve into small spots at the margins. They have short spreading or forward pointing horns. The cows weigh 500–650 kg and average 130 cm tall at the withers, the bulls 800–900 kg and about 140 cm tall. The breed is used mostly for beef production as suckler cows. Only a few cows are milked.

Population

Today the breed is reared in Germany, Austria, and Italy and the population has stabilized, albeit at a low level. From only a few breeding females in the 1980s numbers had risen to 610 breeding females and about 30 bulls in 2002 [ [http://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/descript/211.htm EAAP breed description with photographs] ] .

External links

* [http://www.fleckvieh.de/Englisch/E_04.htm Pustertaler from Munich] (from the [http://www.fleckvieh.de München Grub] website).
* [http://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/descript/211.htm EAAP breed description with photographs]
* [http://www.fleckvieh.de/Deutsch/D_04_1.htm Photo gallery]

References