Now it is the Romagnola

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 14

Now it is the Romagnola

New Zealand has its first pure Romagnola bull. He has been imported by the well known Canterbury' breeder of exotic cattle, Mr R. G. Macdonald.

The Romagnola is another of the white Italian breeds of cattle. Shipped from Scotland and weighing 12001 b at 14 months, Friarton Ajax is now in the artificial breeding centre of New Zealand Sire’ Services at Rukuhia near Hamilton. The demand for semen already includes a large export order. The newcomer was bred in the herd of Mr A. S. Adamson, of Fife, and was one of the first pure calves of the breed to be born in the United Kingdom. Mr Macdonald said this week that the breed had attracted him for two reasons — it had the growth rate of the Charolais and

the calving ease of an Angus. Calves, he said, weighed only about 60 to 701 b, and where the breed was used with maiden heifers it had a good calving record. The breed derives its name from the Romagna district of north east Italy. The terrain in this area is not unlike New Zealand, varying from flat land of high quality to very steep hill country. To thrive in the hilly regions the cattle must have the ability to travel over the rough and steep ground in order to graze, and over many generations of breeding particular attention has been paid to the animals’ feet and legs.

A trouble-free calving characteristic is important to all breeders, and especially the hill country farmer, and in this respect the Romagnola has performed very well in its native environment and also in Britain and North America.

According to New Zealand Sire Services its easy calving, high growth rate with heavy muscling on the back, rump and quarters and good all-round conformation and type make the Romagnola an ideal terminal sire. In Europe and North America it has been put over black and white dairy cattle, the Simmental, Brown Swiss, Hereford and Charolais. Since 1966 it has been used in crossing programmes in Argentina and in New Zealand it is seen as likely to do a good and complementary job over the Angus in the hill country

and the Friesian in dairying districts. It has shown ability to adapt to changing conditions. Its heat tolerance has been tested in South American conditions and it is also able to withstand wet, wind and cold.

Although shorter in the leg than its rival Italian white breeds, mature Romagnola bulls have an average height at the withers of 62in and they weigh more than 1088 kg or 24001 b. Cows measure 57in and heifers often exceed a liveweight of 450 kg or 9921 b at 16 to 18 months.