Romagnola Facts

Among all the sire breeds that remain in the industry, only Romagnola offer all of the qualities needed in an ideal terminal sire.

Some Important Traits of the Romagnola Breed
► Gentle Disposition
► Lean, Tender, Flavorful Meat
► Romagnola X Angus Produces Black Calves
► Fertility & Ease in Calving
► Growth & Hardiness
► Efficient & Trouble Free
► Superior Maternal Instinct
► Excellent Milking Ability

Romagnola Bull with ChildRomagnola at the FairAbove: Romagnola are basically gentle with calm dispositions.

  • Ultrasound and slaughter data indicates that Romagnola produce very little in the way of outside fat, in most cases less than 0.2 inches, and no seam fat. Commercial packing house data indicates that crossbred offspring carry this same trait.

    • Romagnola are muscular cattle without any double-muscling. The muscling on top, along the loin where the Choice cuts are, will reach 14 to 16 square inch ribeye at 1,200 lbs in 11-12 months in reasonable conditions.
  • The muscle fiber in Romagnola is extremely fine-grained and more genetically tender than the muscle of conventional breeds of cattle. This accounts for the demand for Romagnola and Romagnola cross cattle on the part of many branded beef programs.
  • Romagnola meat is very tender and tasty. A thin rind of back fat with a light flecking of marbling infused in the muscle sets off the obvious quality of a good steak or roast. The beef butchers have been looking for this quality beef: low fat, but still full of flavor and tenderness that cuts at least 65% from carcass.
  • Romagnola beef is very different than most other domestic breeds in that the muscle fiber diameter is smaller, and because of the volume of muscle they possess, Romagnola bulls will increase ribeye area on almost any cross. As far as backfat and marbling are concerned, it’s not uncommon for Romagnola cattle to have point two (0.2) inches of backfat or less and still have enough marbling to grade Choice. Romagnola marbling is dispersed across the entire ribeye in very fine flecks, as opposed to some other breeds where you can get large deposits of fat or seam fat around the muscle area.

    • RomAngus CalfUnderlying the silver hair on the Romagnola is a black hide, and the gene for color is recessive; a calf sired by a Romagnola bull will usually be the same color as the cow. This means a black cow will produce a black calf. Pictured at left is a Romagnola X Angus (RomAngus) calf.

    Bull At WorkRomagnola cattle are very fertile. The cow to the left produced 26 embryos and from those embryos, produced 20 calves in one flush. The single most economic trait in the Beef Cattle Industry is the ability of a cow to give birth to her first calf at two years of age and then give enough milk to raise it on her own. Her second, and each calf afterward, should arrive within 12 month intervals.

    Bull At WorkRomagnola bulls are athletic, aggressive breeders that will breed cows in any climate. Pictured at left is a Romagnola bull breeding cows in Mexican cactus country.

  • A powerful Romagnola bull bred to a regular cow will give you a great offspring with, under normal conditions, no calving difficulty.
  • Romagnola calves are long and tubular, with low birth weights. A long, tubular 85lb calf is easier to calve than a 70lb short, compact calf. Most naturally produced fullblood Romagnola and Romagnola crosses calve in the 65 to 85 pound range.
  • Romagnolas have an average mature weight in the range of 1,700 to 2,200 pounds. On good grass, calves will wean in the 600 to 700 pound area at 6 1/2 to 7 months.
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    Moterrey Mexico RomagnolaCanadian Snow Romagnola Above and at Left: Romagnola handle heat and humidity, as well as extreme cold very well. There is an underlying strain of Bos Indicus in the ancient Romagnola proven by blood typing that allows them to function well under extreme climatic conditions. Romagnola Cattle are known for their “Easy Keeping” and it is not at all unusual for a fifteen year old cow to have an udder that resembles that of a young four year old. Their teats are tucked-under, to allow grazing in cactus and prickly vegetation.

  • Romagnola have a black pigment around the eyes that virtually eliminates pinkeye. Their hooves are black and hard, allowing them to travel easily over all types of terrain.

    • Hardy Romagnola in Real World EnvironmentsThe photo above shows the hardiness of Romagnola influenced cattle and their ability to make it in the real world, even on cactus pastures. These cattle are surviving and doing well.

    Romagnola Females Grazing on Mesquite CactusThis fullblood Romagnola herd is thriving and doing well in a Mesquite Cactus pasture in Monterrey, Mexico.

    Romagnola Herd Sire in MexicoThis is a Romagnola bull that will sire this group of fullblood Romagnola females (in both above photos). These cattle are in good condition, even in this dry environment.

    Romagnola Bull Siring Brahman Cross-Bred CattleRomagnola Bull Siring Brahman Cross-Bred Cattle
    Romagnola Bull Siring Brahman Cross-Bred CattleRomagnola Bull Siring Brahman Cross-Bred CattleThese are photos of a bull produced from a fullblood Romagnola herd that is siring Brahman crossbred cattle. The pictures above demonstrate that Romagnola bulls will do well in extreme conditions.

    Below: A Group of Young Romagnola Bulls at Cherokee Ranch

    Cherokee Ranch Bulls

    It is fact that the average terminal sire program produces more pounds in production - that means more income. It makes sense that as Romagnola become better known, producers seeking increased profits from their operations will consider the Romagnola bull.


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