With a history spanning at least 2,200 years, Chianina cattle are one of the oldest known livestock breeds on Earth.
The image of these gigantic, towering cows, exceeding the standards of ordinary livestock, may have led many to wonder if they are some form of biological mutation.
Chianina cattle are the oldest livestock breed on Earth, and they exceed the standards of most ordinary cattle.
However, these are actually Chianina cattle – an ancient breed from Italy, which was once used as draft animals but is now primarily raised for meat.
Chianina cattle were even praised by ancient poets and inspired works of ancient Roman sculpture. Even today, they are still used as part of traditional weddings in some religious beliefs.
The most notable characteristic of this breed is their robust physique and bulging muscles. This has made them a primary source of agricultural power in Italy until the advent of mechanization.
Chianina cattle can tower over an adult human and weigh up to 1.7 tons.
Chianina cattle currently hold the record as the tallest and heaviest livestock breed. An adult cow can stand from 1.6 meters tall and weigh between 800 kg to 1 ton. Meanwhile, bulls can reach nearly 1.8 meters in height and weigh 1,300 kg.
Among them, Bellino is the Chianina bull with the most “impressive” record, standing at 2.03 meters tall and weighing 1,700 kg, which was declared by the Guinness World Records as the largest livestock in the world in 2010.
Another Chianina bull, named Donetto, holds the world record for weight, tipping the scales at 1,780 kg.
Today, Chianina cattle are also referred to as “meat machines”, as they can grow at a rate of over 2 kg of meat per day, while maintaining top-quality standards.
