Cika
In its own language: Cikasto govedo
A small red-brown dairy breed from Slovenia's alpine valleys, with a white line along the back
Cika cattle are a small, lightly built taurine breed from the alpine north-west of Slovenia, red to chestnut brown with white lines along the back and thin horns pointing upwards. The cows are kept mainly for milk, and some animals are also used for beef.
- Slovenia's only autochthonous breed of cattle
- Red to chestnut brown, usually with a white line along the back
- Cows stand about 126 cm and weigh about 470 kg
- Fell to about 900 cows in 2003, then about 5,530 head by 2020
- Milk goes into cheese, quark and yogurt
What do Cika cattle look like?
Cika cattle are a taurine breed, humpless and lightly built. The cows are small framed, with a head of a single colour, a broad pink muzzle and two thin horns that point upwards. Their coat runs from red to chestnut brown, usually marked by a white line along the middle of the back; the same white can reach the thighs, belly, chest and shank, and in some animals it is faint or missing. Cows stand about 126 cm at the withers, the ridge between the shoulders, and weigh around 470 kg; bulls reach about 136 cm and 550 kg.
Where does the Cika come from?
Cika cattle belong to Slovenia and are the country's only autochthonous breed of cattle, meaning they developed there rather than being brought in. They come from the north-western alpine districts of Slovenia. The Bohinj basin, a well-known centre of alpine shepherding, is closely tied to how the breed developed, and two geographical types exist, the Tolmin and the Bohinj Cika. Cika cattle were once the most numerous breed in Slovenia. Around 1964 breeders brought in foreign breeds such as German Fleckvieh and Braunvieh, also called Swiss brown, and numbers fell steeply, nearly wiping the breed out. It later recovered.
What the Cika is known for
Cika cattle have a name for being relatively undemanding. They graze alpine meadows, including steep, rocky pastures that are almost impossible to reach. Breeders value the cows for good fertility, a strongly expressed maternal instinct and a long lifespan. Adult cows are also used to rear calves that will later be slaughtered for meat, which shows how much the breed is trusted as a mother.
How the Cika is bred and kept
Breeding is recorded and orderly. A breed standard exists in Slovene, and 736 breeders were registered in 2011, most of them keeping only one Cika animal on the farm. Two geographical types, Tolmin and Bohinj, are recognised inside the breed. Numbers have climbed from about 900 cows in 2003 to roughly 5,530 head in 2020. Cika cattle are now raised in nearly every region of Slovenia, and the largest populations sit in the Upper Carniola, Savinja and Central Slovenia statistical regions.
Cika, drawn
What the Cika is kept for
Milk is the main reason the Cika is kept. The cows give a high milk yield, and the milk goes into cheese, quark, a soft fresh cheese, and yogurt. Some animals are kept as beef cows, and adult cows are used to raise calves that are later slaughtered for meat. Bulls suit the meat trade because their bones are relatively thin, so a higher share of the carcass can be sold as meat. Traditionally the breed served as a dairy cow, supplying milk and looking after calves.
The land and climate of the Cika
The breed's home ground is the north-western alpine part of Slovenia, where cattle graze mountain meadows. Bohinj, a Slovenian basin, is a noted centre of alpine shepherding and is tied to the breed's development. The pastures the cows use can be steep, rocky and almost impossible to reach. Today the breed is kept in almost every region of the country, well beyond the north-western valleys where it began.
Who keeps the Cika
Cika cattle are kept by Slovene breeders rather than by one named herding people. In 2011 the register held 736 breeders, and most of them had only one Cika animal on the farm, so the breed lives in many small herds. The Bohinj basin is known as a centre of Slovenian alpine shepherding and is one of the places where the breed took shape. Some 5,530 animals were counted in 2020.
At a glance: where it belongs
Land and climate
Celebrations
Custom and folk tradition
Alpine shepherding shapes the Cika's story. Cows graze mountain meadows, and the Bohinj basin is known as a centre of that shepherding, with the breed taking its Bohinj type from the area. Cika cattle were the most numerous breed in Slovenia before breeders turned to imported breeds around 1964, and keeping the breed going since then has fallen to farmers, many of them with a single animal.
Keeping Cika cattle
Cika cattle are relatively undemanding. Much of their keep is grazing, including steep and rocky alpine meadows, and the cows are noted for good fertility, strong maternal instinct and a long lifespan. Adult cows are used to raise calves that are later slaughtered for meat.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
The Cika is the only autochthonous cattle breed in Slovenia, and its status is given as at risk. Numbers fell to about 900 cows in 2003, then rose to roughly 5,530 head by 2020, and the population is still growing. In 2011 there were 736 registered breeders, most with a single animal. A breed standard in Slovene exists, and the breed has spread from the north-western alpine districts to almost every region of the country.
Questions people ask about Cika
Where do Cika cattle come from?
Slovenia, where the breed is the only autochthonous cattle breed. It developed in the north-western alpine districts. The Bohinj basin, a noted centre of alpine shepherding, is closely tied to the breed, and two types are recognised, the Tolmin and the Bohinj Cika.
What are Cika cattle kept for?
Mainly for milk. The cows give a high yield, used for cheese, quark and yogurt. Some are kept as beef cows, adult cows rear calves for meat, and bulls are valued for thin bones that raise the share of usable meat.
What do Cika cattle look like?
Small and lightly built, with a single-coloured head, a broad pink muzzle and thin horns pointing upwards. The coat is red to chestnut brown, usually with a white line along the spine, thighs, belly, chest and shank. Cows are about 126 cm tall, bulls about 136 cm.
Are Cika cattle rare?
The breed is listed as at risk. It was once Slovenia's most numerous breed, fell to about 900 cows in 2003 after foreign breeds arrived around 1964, and recovered to about 5,530 head in 2020. Numbers are increasing.
How hardy are Cika cattle?
The cows are relatively undemanding and graze alpine meadows that are steep, rocky and almost impossible to reach. Breeders value good fertility, strong maternal instinct and a long lifespan. In 2011 there were 736 registered breeders, most keeping just one animal.
Good reading and sources
- Cika cattle on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Cika cattle", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryCow rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Sizes, colours and customs differ from one herd, valley or breeder to the next. Folk beliefs are described as tradition, never as advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-16.
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