History
The Kea breed developed on the island of Kea (Cycladic group) mainly from crosses of pre-existing indigenous cattle of the short horn type and Swiss Brown bulls. Reports as early as the Μiddle Αges mention the importation of bulls to Aegean islands from the Alpine region by the Venetians. The first documented importation of Swiss Brown bulls was in 1909. The following 20 - 30 years there were further imports of Swiss Brown bulls and of some other breeds such as Sziget, Crimean and Bessarabian. Importations ceased in the 1930s and the inhabitants selected the cattle on the basis of working ability, milk and meat production. In 1946 the total number of cattle on the island was approximately 1,200 animals. By the end of the 1940s, Kea cattle had spread to many Cycladic islands, Crete and the Peloponnese. Several studies on Kea cattle were conducted in 1930-1950 period. At the end of the 1960s the number of Kea cattle declined dramatically as they were no longer needed for work in cultivated fields. The population’s gradual decline continued in the 1970s. At the same time numerous importations of Holstein-Frisian and Swiss Brown bulls took place aimed at increasing milk production. The daily milk output was purchased and processed by major dairy industries based in Attica. This commercial activity ceased later due to increased transportation costs. These developments have led to the breed’s total extinction from the island since the 1980s. The Tinos breed from the homonymous neighboring Cycladic Island had the same fate. Nonetheless, both Kea and Tinos remained officially recognized as autochthonous cattle breeds according to Article 5 of Presidential Order 434/1995. In 2012, acting on information collected by “Amalthia” Network, members of “Amalthia” and the Ministry of Agriculture visited the isolated island of Makronisos where a herd of cattle was located. The herd was certified by the ministry as being of pure Kea breed. Years later more Kea cattle were discovered in the Trifylia region (Peloponnese), remnants of a population of 70 pure animals imported to Trifylia from Kea during the 1950s.
Morphological Traits
The Kea breed has typical dairy cattle conformation. Bulls attain weights of 500 kg and cows of 250-350 kg. Height at the withers for cows is 119-131 cm (average 126 cm) and body length 127-161 cm (average 142 cm).
The dominant coat colour is solid brown-red in various gradations from light intermixed with blond to black with a brown-red undertone. The head and the exterior of the ears are darker than the remaining body. The breed exhibits a mealy muzzle discolouration and almost all animals possess a light-coloured dorsal stripe, shaded from light brown-red to silver-grey. Skin colour and hooves are dark, while horns are slender and short with dark tips.
Population
Presently, there are 50 animals in Kea, a few in Kythnos, Makronisos, Trifylia and Salamis. The total number of pure specimens is less than 100. The population of the breed is classified as ‘Critical’.