Rare Cattle Breeds

A breed of animal is considered rare when their population is very small and can be at risk of extinction. New Zealand has several rare breeds of cattle which are classified on the Rare Breeds NZ conservation watchlist, based on their known population; At Risk, Endangered, Vulnerable or Critical.

Let’s take a look at three of these breeds: Red Poll Cattle, Australian Lowline Cattle and Piedmontese Cattle.

Originating from England, the Red Poll came about by crossing red-horned cattle of Norfolk and dun-coloured cattle from Suffolk.

They were first imported into New Zealand in 1898, and although they are a dual-purpose animal and can produce milk with good yields, they have been used mainly for beef production here. They are known to be efficient converters of feed and can thrive on a low-input system, providing fine-grained, tender and tasty meat.

With ease of a calving, good mothering and a docile nature, the majority of the Red Poll in the UK are used as suckler cows, raising their calves until weaned, with the primary purpose of producing high quality beef.

During the twentieth century, numbers declined in in England and the Red Poll is now classified as rare.

A little closer to home is another rare breed of cattle known as Australian Lowline, which was the result of a research project in 1974 in New South Wales, involving breeding animals for size. By 1992 a herd that bred true for small size and early maturity was developed and would be known as the Australian Lowline.

 The first of this breed arrived into New Zealand in 1995 and within five years, numbers grew to about 200 animals, with a herd book system being established in the early 2000’s.

Australian Lowlines are black in colour and naturally polled. Due to their small size, they are ‘easy-care’ cattle, require less feed and tend to do minimal damage to pasture, especially in the winter when the ground is softer. They are bred exclusively for beef, producing tender, well-marbled meat and have been described as ‘paddock to plate’ animals.

Now let’s turn to the northwest of Italy, where the Piedmontese cattle take their name from the region of Piedmont. They are a medium sized breed that are grey-white in colour, although when the calves are born, they are fawn.

Piedmontese are raised primarily for their meat and are seen as a premium product in Italy, although some are milked to produce the region’s traditional cheeses.

They carry a unique gene mutation that causes double muscling which contributes to the extreme tenderness of their meat. Another attractive feature is the health benefits of eating this meat as it has the lowest cholesterol of all breeds and the highest essential fatty acids.

In the late 1970’s some Piedmontese bulls were imported into Canada and a decade later, embryos from there arrived in New Zealand. Although numbers are low in New Zealand, Piedmontese cattle featured well each year in the ‘Steak of Origin’ competition.