It is said that the ancestors of the Romagnola came to Italy in the fourth century with the Goths who migrated from Asia Minor into the fertile Romagna area along the west coast of the Adriatic Sea. These wanders brought all their possessions with them, including their cattle.

It is also said that the origin of the Romagnola breed were the Bos Taurus Macroceros (long-horned aurochs) that were native to the steppes of Eastern and Central Europe. But modern DNA testing has shown that all the breeds in the Romagna area have an underlying strain of Bos Indicus in their makeup. Probably, the Goths, in wanderings, at some time, passed through Northern India where their cattle interbred with a cattle native to that area. In all likelihood, those native cattle were the ancestors of the modern Nellore strain of Indu cattle.

This happy coincidence gave Romagnola heritage a hardiness and an ability to adapt to harsh climatic conditions that far exceeds that of cattle of straight Bos Taurus (European) lineage.

Manifestations of their Bos Indicus lineage include the ability of the Romagnola to sweat and to secrete an oily fluid from their sebaceous glands that is useful in repelling insects. Like their conventional Bos Indicus cousins, they also have a muscle network in their hides that allows them to twitch their skins, also handy for removing biting flies and mosquitoes.

As a result of the hardiness and adaptability handed down from their Bos Indicus ancestors, you will see Romagnola out grazing in the heat of the day while Bos Taurus cattle are shaded up. You will see them living, breeding, and prospering in hot, humid climates in which straight Bos Taurus breeds have a difficult time surviving.

The black hide under their silver coats allows them to get along in cold climates without snow-burned testes, and their hard black hooves allow them to travel well in rough, rocky terrain. These are also very likely gifts passed down from their Bos Indicus ancestors.

Think about it: These traits suit Romagnola to any area of the United States. They can function well in the heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast states and will prosper on the high dessert and mountain country of the north, a breed for all climates and seasons.

The Bos Indicus strain has also had its effect on Romagnola females. They give milk with a very high percentage of butter-fat. They have excellent udders with perfectly-sized, well shaped teats and large pelvic areas for ease of calving. They are protective mothers and become fertile at any early age.

Yet Romagnola have neither the uncertain dispositions nor the crests, ears, and sloping hip characteristics of many of the Indian cattle breeds. In addition, they are more heavily muscled, a gift of their Bos Taurus ancestors as well as a history of use as draft animals in Italy which put a large quantity of muscle over the back and loin where the choice cuts of beef are located. This combined with the fact that in Italy, they have been, for more than a century, selected for their beef production capabilities, has molded this breed into the ideal beef animal in the industry today.

As the American Beef Cattle Industry stands on the threshold of a new century, most professional cattleman have come to the realization that we must produce, grow, and market cattle that will produce beef with the eating quality that will consistently satisfy the American consumer, our ultimate customer. This is the only way our industry can restore its profitability and regain the market share it has lost in recent years.

Now and in the future we must produce consistently high Yielding cattle with Yield Grades in the one and two range, Choice or Select marbling at any early age, and even more important, a built-in Genetic flavor and tenderness.

And just as that realization dawned, a little known and, thus far, unpromoted breed has emerged that, according to hard data, has just such superior carcass qualities and the ability to pass them on to their commercial offspring.

That breed is Romagnola , a breed of Italian origin that has been lying undiscovered in the U.S. since 1972 in the hands of only a few producers.

With the industry's new awareness of the need for cattle with the superior carcass quality, the timing of the emergence of the Romagnola into the mainstream of the industry is perfect both for the breed and the cattle business as a whole.

These cattle offer an entirely new opportunity at every level of the beef cattle marketing chain, from seed stock producer to commercial calf producers, to feeders and to packers to increase profits and to produce beef with the consistent quality the industry so desperately needs.

The Romagnola Beef Cattle are a cattle breed that has commercial appeal to the Cattle Industry. Romagnola Cattle offer the commercial cattleman ease of calving, earlier growth, good early weight gains and mostly muscle. Romagnola seed stock bulls are being used on terminal cross feeder cattle for better feedlot gains with more muscle and less fat (fat thickness of 0.35 in) at slaughter. Typical feedlot gains are 3.1 lbs/day (no implants), yielding 64.8% with a typical ribeye of 14.3 in2 and a rib/cwt of 1.68. These crosses are typically bringing the producer a premium of $85 over regional cash prices. At slaughter, 4% grade premium, 89 % of carcasses typically grade choice and the remaining 7% grades select.

Romagnola bulls and semen are available through Romagnola seed stock breeders. The Association and its breeders are constantly striving to produce seed stock animals with good weaning weights and high post weaning gains. When crossed with commercial herds, there are minimal birthing problems. The Romagnola breed typically does well through out a wide range of climatic conditions from the tropics to the deserts to the high mountain ranges. They tolerate the heat of south Texas, rain forests of Costa Rico to the high mountains of Colorado. Health problems also appear to be minimal, despite the wide range of climatic conditions in which they thrive.

It is our goal to produce a breed that imparts a quiet nature to minimize the effects of shipping, feedlot conditions that could hinder weight gains. We want animals that handle well, that are calm and that will bring the commercial producer the maximum profit at time of sale. We expect this Romagnola breed to add desirable characteristics to the European/English beef cattle.