:Bianca di Saluzzo
{{Short description|Breed of chicken}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{use list-defined references|date=June 2013}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox poultry breed
| name = Bianca di Saluzzo
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| image_caption =
| status = Recovering
| altname = Bianca di Cavour
| country = Italy
| distribution =
| standard =
| use = dual-purpose breed
| nickname =
| apa =
| aba =
| ee =
| pcgb =
| maleweight = 2.5–2.7 kg
| femaleweight = 2.0–2.1 kg
| skincolor = yellow
| eggcolor = white
| comb = single
| note =
| type = Chicken
| latin = Gallus gallus domesticus
}}
The Bianca di Saluzzo ({{lit|Saluzzo white [chicken]}}) is a traditional breed of chicken originating in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy. It takes its name either from the town of Saluzzo, in the province of Cuneo, or from the former Marquisate of Saluzzo, which approximately coincides with its area of distribution. It may also be called the Bianca di Cavour, after the nearby town of Cavour, in the province of Turin.
History
The Bianca di Saluzzo was once abundant in Piemonte, especially in the historic Marquisate of Saluzzo and in neighbouring comuni such as Cavour, Villafranca and Garzigliana. In the 1960s, industrialisation and intensive agriculture caused a decline in the breed, which is suitable only for free-range management. Recovery began in 1999 under the auspices of the Istituto Professionale per l'Agricoltura e l'Ambiente (professional institute for agriculture and the environment) of Verzuolo, in the province of Cuneo. A breed standard has been submitted to the Federazione Italiana Associazioni Avicole, the federation of Italian poultry associations.
Breed numbers remain low. A study published in 2007 used a figure of approximately 700 for the total breeding stock, of which approximately 200 were cocks.