Rätisches Grauvieh

The Rätisches Grauvieh is an endangered Swiss breed of cattle from the Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It is a smaller type of the Tiroler Grauvieh breed of Alpine grey cattle. In the 1920s it was absorbed into the Braunvieh population. In 1985 the population was re-established by the introduction of cattle of the similar Albula type from Austria. Like the Rhaetian Alps, it is named after the Ancient Roman province of Rhaetia.

Rätisches Grauvieh
a grey-coloured cow
Conservation statusFAO (2007): endangered-maintained[1]: 112 
Other names
  • Albula Vieh
  • Bündner Grauvieh
  • Oberengadiner Vieh
  • Davoser Bergvieh[2]
Country of originSwitzerland
DistributionGraubünden (Grisons)
Usedual-purpose: milk and beef
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    550–750 kg[3]
  • Female:
    350–500 kg[3]
Height
  • Male:
    120–128 cm[3]
  • Female:
    119–126 cm[3]
Coatgrey
  • Cattle
  • Bos (primigenius) taurus

History

In the Graubünden, in eastern Switzerland, there were two strains of the Alpine Tiroler Grauvieh: the large and heavy Oberländer type, and the smaller Albula type.[3] They were triple-purpose animals, reared for draught use, for milk, and for meat.[4] In the 1920s, they were absorbed into the Braunvieh population. In 1985, cattle of the Albula type were re-introduced to the area from Austria by ProSpecieRara in order to re-establish the breed.[5]: 284 [3] In 2015 a population of 2000 was reported.[6]

References
  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed January 2017.
  2. Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN 9789054390176.
  3. Rätisches Grauvieh (in German). ProSpecieRara. Accessed January 2017.
  4. Die Geschichte (in German). Rassenclub Grauvieh Schweiz. Accessed January 2017.
  5. Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  6. Breed data sheet: Rätisches Grauvieh/Switzerland. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed January 2017.

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