Piedmontese Cattle

Where are piedmontese from?

Twenty-five thousand years ago a mass migration of Zebu cattle originated from modern day Pakistan and made its way into northwestern Italy. Blocked by the Alps from moving any further, these cattle stayed and intermingled with the native European bison - the Auroch. This blend of Bos Taurus (Auroch) and Bos Indicus (Brahman) evolved in a unique terrain that blends harsh elevations in the Alps, and gentle lowland pasture.

Is the beef healthy?

Yes! Piedmontese beef is low fat, low calorie, and low cholesterol. Piedmontese beef is leaner than conventional beef, with less marbling but stays incredibly tender due to a remarkable quirk of genetics (see below).

What makes piedmontese beef unique?

What sets Piedmontese apart is their meat quality and flavor.

Piedmontese beef is meat from cattle that posses two copies of the inactive myostatin gene. This trait provides a higher lean-to-fat ratio, as well as less marbling with less connective tissue than meat from cattle having the "active" version of the gene. The active-myostatin gene acts as a "regulator" of muscle growth; myostatin bonds with proteins in the bloodstream and flushes them out. In effect, when inactive, as it is with Piedmontese cattle, it no longer limits muscle development which is what allows for optimized growth.

Despite having less fat, the meat is shockingly tender (likely attributed to the smaller, but more densely packed muscle fibers, and very little connective tissue). When beef is tough or chewy this is a direct result of the connective tissue or collagen content. Piedmontese beef remains extremely tender - even when cooked well done. Restaurants have even shared videos of cutting steaks with dinner plates!

The bottom line is: this is a breed that produces healthy, tender beef with rich flavor.

what are piedmontese used for (Beef vs dairy)?

In Italy, Piedmontese have historically been triple purpose (meat, milk, and work). Some modern Piedmontese are utilized as dual-purpose animals; their rich milk is often used for specialty cheese production, while their beef is marketed as a premium product.

What are some of the characteristics of piedmontese cattle?

Piedmontese cattle are generally white to light grey in color with black around the muzzle and eyes. The bulls have a grey or pale fawn coat, with black hairs on the head (especially around the eye sockets), on the neck, the shoulders, the distal regions of the limbs and sometimes on the lateral faces of the body and the hind limbs. The cows have a white or pale fawn coat with shades of grey or pale fawn. At birth their coat color is more of a deep pale fawn.

The breed has fine bone structure, though confirmation is broad and muscular. Bulls can weigh between 2,200lbs- 2,600lbs, cows can weigh 1,100lbs- 1,400lbs, and calves can weigh 75lbs- 105lbs at birth.

Piedmontese cattle are quite docile. They tend to exhibit excellent mothering instincts and ample milk yield. Calving ease is a result of the delay in the manifestation of the double-muscling, usually occurring several weeks after birth.

Piedmontese are known for their high feed conversion and efficiency, and were ranked first for their feed lot performance ratio by the Great Western Beef Expo in 1991. Higher than average weight gains are common.