THE PIEMONTESE
CATTLE BREED

the morphological characteristics of Piemontese cattle

Coat

in bulls, the coat is grey or light wheat with noticeable black hair accentuation on the head, neck, shoulders, and distal regions of the limbs; sometimes also on the sides of the trunk and hind limbs with the formation of dark spots or patches; in cows, the coat is white or light wheat with shades up to grey or wheat; calves at birth have a dark wheat coat

Pigmentation

the following parts are black: the muzzle, oral mucosa, eyelashes, eyelid and ear margins, preputial tuft, lower part of the scrotum, tail tuft, anal opening, and vulva lips, hoofs, and hooflets. The horns, black until about 20 months of age, appear yellowish at the base in adults, lighter in the middle third, and black at the tip. Partial depigmentation of the aforementioned parts or predominant depigmentation of the oral mucosa does not constitute grounds for disqualification

Withers

broad and muscular, seamlessly connected to the neck

Ribcage

well arched, long, deep

Chest

deep

Flanks

full, rather long

Skin

soft, elastic, thin

Tail

long, with abundant tuft

Testicles

descended into the scrotum

Head

expressive, shorter and wider in bulls, longer and finer in cows, with a small tuft on the crown, often light wheat in color, flat forehead slightly depressed between prominent orbital arches; medium-sized ears, large eyes with a lively expression; broad, straight nose with wide nostrils, broad muzzle, wide mouth with well-pronounced lips

Neck

broad, muscular with a somewhat pronounced hump in bulls, relatively long and less muscular in females, with light and medium-developed dewlap

Shoulders

compact, broad, muscular, well attached to the trunk and in the right direction

Rump

in bulls, broad with good muscle development, in cows, broad, long, and muscular

Belly

broad and deep

Loins

muscular and full

Back

broad and horizontal

Thigh

in bulls, broad and well-muscled, in cows, full and well-developed

Buttocks

in bulls, broad and with marked muscle development, long, in cows, broad and well-descended

Front Legs

solid, rather short upper arm, long and muscular forearm, thick and broad knee, medium-length and solid shank, robust fetlock, short pastern, robust and close-fitting hooves

Hind Legs

well-aligned, free from defects, muscular shank, broad and solid hock, neither straight nor sickle-shaped, robust fetlock, short pastern, robust and close-fitting hooves

Udder

of regular conformation, with regular quarters and well-placed teats, well-vascularized

THE MEAT

Among the qualities of the Piemontese breed, the marked development of the muscular mass stands out, which results, alongside a very high slaughter yield, in a unique and particular quality of meat...