Herdbook of cattle breeds

What is the stud book?

Incredible but true: there is a regulation - and perhaps more than one - to keep the identity of a specific breed intact. For many and perhaps for everyone: beyond the management of hybrid garments and more towards the desire for in-depth analysis. Too many people talk about it and too few know about it: we need to clarify.

There are many rumors that can be heard about the genealogical book and they are often told for a very simple reason, its use is for those who want and need to delve deeper, for everyone else there are "those studied". Irony is the essential ingredient for having a laugh, but when it comes to studbooks, real disputes have arisen between different areas to grasp the origin of a breed and to reach a string on any page.

In fact, appearing in the book is not something for all races, some fill abundant pages, while others are relegated to macro categories without aspirations of glory. The stud book is an official list in which the animals belonging to a specific breed and species whose genealogy is known are noted.

Who regulates what

Each bovine, porcine, sheep, equine and goat species is characterized by a multitude of breeds that meet specific requirements indicated in the stud book. The person responsible for the definition of breed and species that identifies the origin and underlines the belonging is the EU Regulation 2016/1012 of 8 June 2016 .

In addition to being a useful handbook for discovering familiarity, the Regulation chooses to give a legislative imprint to the herd book, defining it as: "any herd book of animals of the swine, bovine, ovine, goat and equine species, recorded using a file or computer support kept by a breeding body, consisting of a main section and, if the breeding body so decides, one or more additional sections for animals which belong to the same species but cannot be registered in the main section" .

Another Regulation chooses to regulate animal reproduction - Regulation on animal reproduction EU Regulation no. 2016 of 1012 , and defines the rules in detail, establishes the zootechnical and genealogical rules intended for the commercial exchange of animals and germinal material.

European Union and common rules on breeds

Beef, as well as pork and other animals intended for culinary use, are therefore free to circulate in the European Union, provided that specific and common regulations are respected.

Here is revealed the objective of these Regulations which include the correct use of the Herd Book. Genetic evaluation is essential to define an animal as a pure breed and to maintain the production of quality animals intact.

Voice to the breeders

The indirect consequence is the recognition of farmers' associations which, through the approval of genetic programs, use common methodologies recognized throughout Europe.

Performance and genetic evaluations are responsible for the verification and classification which include: natural or artificial breeding, zootechnical certificates and ancestry.

The procedure takes place through the evaluation of multiple indices and factors and through the "Genetic Programme" the trade associations can acquire useful data and information aimed at constant improvement and adaptation. The main indices are: reproductive level, quality characteristics, resistance to diseases, functional characteristics for breeding, longevity, attitudes towards environmental adaptation.

External contamination

If the Herd Book chooses to focus on the specific definition of the breed, to make everything homogeneous and functional it is necessary to also take action towards the arrival of geminal material from third countries and outside the territorial regulations.

At this juncture the "Breeding Organisms" come into play which, following the factor verification procedures, define and determine the genetic evaluation so as to increase the Herd Book where the aforementioned requirements exist.

The European Commission has chosen to take a further step by legislating the list of breeding organisms through the European Regulation 2016/2012 so as to offer complete and wide-ranging legislative protection. Italy has also taken action in this regard through Legislative Decree 11 May 2018 n. 52, relating to the "Discipline of animal reproduction in implementation of article 15 of law 28 July 2016, n. 154".

The evolution of races

The National Breed Associations can therefore rest assured and have their work and value recognised.

The Modicana breed , for example, has been defined as such and preserved through a series of legislative steps that meet the requirements of the Herd Book. The examples are many and concern pure Italian and European breeds that find the perfect habitat for breeding in a particular environment, both in terms of animal welfare and in terms of yield for the breeder.

From today on, therefore, choosing a specific bovine breed becomes a right that takes on an even more marked connotation, thanks to the work of those who choose to safeguard and maintain intact the customs and habits of a territorial area. It's easy to say DOC, IGP and various and possible acronyms, as regards bovine, equine, pig and sheep breeds, from today we can rattle off more knowledge!