The Corse or Corsicana is a French breed of cattle indigenous to the island of Corsica.[1]: 159 [2][3][4]: 275 

Corsican cows at the beach

History

Corsican cow

The Corse is the traditional cattle breed of Corsica, formerly kept principally for draught work in agriculture.[5] It is officially recognised by the Ministère de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, the French ministry of agriculture, but no herd-book is kept.[6]

Since the 1960s there has been intromission of several breeds from mainland France, among them the Aubrac, the Brune des Alpes, the Charolaise, the Gasconne, the Limousine and the Tarentaise.[6][7] On low-lying pasture where there is abundant forage, cross-bred calves put on weight more rapidly than purebred indigenous stock; they are not suitable for rearing on the thinner grazing of mountainous areas, to which the Corse is well adapted.[5] This cross-breeding has threatened the survival of the original Corse breed, which may now require conservation.[8]: 227 

In 2001 there were 28,000 cows and 1,300 bulls for natural and 6 for artificial insemination. The numbers are stable and 60% of females reproduce purebred.

Morphology

The breed has a tan coat with shades ranging from blond to dark wheat and gray. The belly is often lighter. The mucous membranes are dark. The lyre-shaped horns are brought up. The breed is of small size and low weight. Cows measures 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) and 280 kg (620 lb), the bulls 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) and 350 kg (770 lb).

Use

Cows at Mausoleo.

Cattle in Corsica were traditionally used as draught animals in agriculture, particularly in cereal farming; cows gave a small quantity of milk, and oxen no longer fit for work yielded some beef.[5][8]: 227  Following the decline in cereal farming in the island, the cattle are reared mostly for beef, usually from bullocks slaughtered at an age of 10 to 12 months (Corsican: manzu), when they have a live weight of some 140–180 kg. These a managed extensively, grazing freely on the maquis and woodland undergrowth of the mountains.[8]: 227 

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corse (cattle).
  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Breed data sheet: Corse / France (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2021.
  3. ↑ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (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: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN 9789054390176.
  5. 1 2 3 Race bovine CORSE (in French). AgroParis Tech / INRA - Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Développement de l'Elevage. Archived 14 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 Étude de la race bovine: Corse (in French). Bureau des Ressources Génétiques. Archived 12 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Breed description: Corsican. Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Archived 15 October 2007.
  8. 1 2 3 Marie Dervillé, Stéphane Patin, Laurent Avon (2009). Races bovines de France: origine, standard, sélection (in French). Paris: Éditions France Agricole. ISBN 9782855571515.

Further reading

  • J.J. Hari, P. Franceschi, François Casabianca, J. Boscher, C.P. Popescu (1984). Etude cytogénétique d'une population de bovins corses (in French). Comptes rendus de l’Académie des sciences. Série III, Sciences de la vie. 15 (2): 191–199.
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