Today in the world there are more than 1200 breeds and hybrids of cows. Most of them were bred over the past three centuries, but the first attempts at breeding with cattle were made in ancient Rome.
After Sicily and North Africa began to supply cheaper bread to the country than did the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula themselves, the Romans redirected their strength to raising livestock. The well-known joke of Cato the Elder speaks about the situation in the economy. To the question: "What occupation brings the greatest benefit?" - he replies: "Good cattle breeding." "And the next one by profitability?" - "Good cattle breeding." "And then?" - "Bad cattle breeding". "And then?" - "Agriculture."
The ancient Romans developed detailed recommendations for the selection, cultivation and maintenance of cattle before the beginning of our era. For example, the writer and agronomist Lucius Columella, in his 12-volume work “On Agriculture”, reports that a good bull is one whose body parts are proportional, a long fleshy neck with a fooon, a voluminous chest, wide hips and a straight back, thick and short wool throughout the body.
