The Burlina comes from
the Venetian Prealpi at the sides of Mount Grappa.
It seems it dates back to the Roman times when the Cimbri Migrations led some
northern European pied cattle breeds to these regions. The Cimbri belonged to
populations living in the Jutland peninsula (Denmark).
As a pure breed there
still exist very few examples in the provinces of Treviso, Vicenza and Verona
nowadays, while in 1930 the stock was of about 15000 heads. The Burlina breed
was officially accepted at the first Register office in 1980.
Since 1985 the
Registry Office of autochthonous cattle breeds and ethnic groups of limited
diffusion has been founded, in order to protect those Italian cattle breeds at
risk of extinction and to safeguard this genetic heritage. Among them there are
the following breeds: Agerolese, Bianca Val Padana (Modenese), Burlina,
Cabannina, Calvana, Cinisara, Garfagnina, Modicana, Mucca Pisana, Pezzata Rossa
d’Oropa, Pinzgau, Pontremolese, Pustertaler, Reggiana, Sarda, Sardo-Modicana,
Varzese.
Burlina cattle have a
black-pied coat prevailing over the white. White limbs, black head with a star
in the forehead. White tail tuft; grey and black wide muzzle. Moderate size and
height. They are used for both meat and dairy production breed, mainly dairy
though. They are very rustic and are able to exploit poor mountainous pastures.
Photo and Content Source: Agraria.org
About Burlina Cattle
