Castellana Negra

Last updated

Castellana Negra
Gallina castellana negra.jpg
Castellana Negra hen
Other namesGallina Castellana Negra
Country of originSpain
Standard MAGRAMA (in Spanish)
Traits
Weight
  • Male: 2.8–3 kg [1] :625
  • Female: 2.3 kg [1] :625
Skin colourwhite
Egg colourwhite
Comb typesingle
Classification
APA no [2]
EE yes [3]
PCGB no [4]

The Castellana Negra or Gallina Castellana Negra is a Spanish breed of domestic chicken. It is a good egg-laying breed, rustic and disease-resistant. It was formerly widely kept and commercially exploited in Spain. Since the advent of imported commercial hybrid layer chickens and the spread of highly intensive chicken farming methods, it has almost disappeared. [1] :624

Chicken domesticated bird, primarily a source of food or food

The chicken is a type of domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the red junglefowl. It is one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of more than 19 billion as of 2011. There are more chickens in the world than any other bird or domesticated fowl. Humans keep chickens primarily as a source of food and, less commonly, as pets. Originally raised for cockfighting or for special ceremonies, chickens were not kept for food until the Hellenistic period.

Intensive farming various types of agriculture that involve higher levels of input and output per unit of agricultural land area

Intensive farming involves various types of agriculture with higher levels of input and output per cubic unit of agricultural land area. It is characterized by a low fallow ratio, higher use of inputs such as capital and labour, and higher crop yields per cubic unit land area. This contrasts with traditional agriculture, in which the inputs per unit land are lower. The term "intensive" involves various meanings, some of which refer to organic farming methods, and others that refer to nonorganic and industrial methods. Intensive animal farming involves either large numbers of animals raised on limited land, usually concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), often referred to as factory farms, or managed intensive rotational grazing (MIRG), which has both organic and non-organic types. Both increase the yields of food and fiber per acre as compared to traditional animal husbandry. In CAFO, feed is brought to the seldom-moved animals, while in MIRG the animals are repeatedly moved to fresh forage.

Contents

History

The Castellana Negra is thought to have been introduced to Al-Andalus by the Moorish invaders, and for this reason was sometimes known as moruna, "Moorish". It was widespread in southern and central Spain, but was not known in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula until the late nineteenth century. Black chickens were known in various parts of the country under regional names such as the Zamorana in the province of Zamora, the Leonesa in the province of León (both in the autonomous community of Castilla y León), the Andaluza Negra in Andalucia or the Jerezana in the area of Jerez de la Frontera. How the black chickens of Castilla y León were selected and unified to become a breed is not documented. From the late nineteenth century it was so considered, and a breed standard was drawn up in 1926 by D. Enrique P. de Villamil; [5] :36 this was approved in 1930. [1] :625 Following the introduction of battery farming and imported commercial egg-laying hybrids, the Castellana Negra came close to disappearing. It was included in the conservation programme for indigenous chicken breeds of the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, a public agrarian research institute, from 1975 to 2010. [6]

al-Andalus name with which historiograficamente is known to the territories of the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule between 711 and 1492

al-Andalus, also known as Muslim Spain, Muslim Iberia, or Islamic Iberia, was a medieval Muslim territory and cultural domain that in its early period occupied most of Iberia, today's Portugal and Spain. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied the northwest of the Iberian peninsula and a part of present day southern France Septimania and for nearly a century extended its control from Fraxinet over the Alpine passes which connect Italy with the remainder of Western Europe. The name more generally describes the parts of the peninsula governed by Muslims at various times between 711 and 1492, though the boundaries changed constantly as the Christian Reconquista progressed, eventually shrinking to the south around modern-day Andalusia and then to the Emirate of Granada.

Moors medieval Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta

The term "Moors" refers primarily to the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during the Middle Ages. The Moors initially were the indigenous Maghrebine Berbers. The name was later also applied to Arabs.

Iberian Peninsula Peninsula located in southwest Europe

The Iberian Peninsula, also known as Iberia, is located in the southwest corner of Europe. The peninsula is principally divided between Spain and Portugal, comprising most of their territory. It also includes Andorra, small areas of France, and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. With an area of approximately 596,740 square kilometres (230,400 sq mi)), it is both the second largest European peninsula by area, after the Scandinavian Peninsula, and by population, after the Balkan Peninsula.

Initial steps towards recovery of the breed were reported in 1981. Breeding was begun with two birds identified in Córdoba, and a further ten from Mérida in Extremadura. The total population in Spain at that time was believed to be 150–200 birds. [7] In 2009 there were some hundreds of Castellana Negra birds kept by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria, and about a thousand at the agricultural institute of the University of Valladolid at Soria. Isolated nuclei of the breed, not all pure-bred, were also reported from Zamora, León and Salamanca in Castilla y León, from the area of Toledo in Castilla-La Mancha, and from Andalucia. [1] :625

Córdoba, Spain Municipality in Andalusia, Spain

Córdoba, also called Cordova in English, is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It was a Roman settlement, taken over by the Visigoths, followed by the Umayyad Caliphate in the eighth century. It became the capital of a Muslim emirate, and then the Caliphate of Córdoba, which encompassed most of the Iberian Peninsula. During this period, it became a centre of education and learning, and by the 10th century had grown to possibly the largest city in Europe. It was recaptured by Christian forces in 1236, during the Reconquista.

Mérida, Spain Municipality in Extremadura, Spain

Mérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. The population is 60,119 in 2017. The Augusta Emerita has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.

Extremadura Autonomous community of Spain

Extremadura is an autonomous community of the western Iberian Peninsula whose capital city is Mérida, recognised by the Statute of Autonomy of Extremadura. It is made up of the two largest provinces of Spain: Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by the provinces of Salamanca and Ávila to the north; by provinces of Toledo and Ciudad Real to the east, and by the provinces of Huelva, Seville, and Córdoba (Andalusia) to the south; and by Portugal to the west. Its official language is Spanish.

The Castellana Negra was not included in the official list of indigenous Spanish breeds in the royal decree of 26 December 2008, which established the national livestock breed conservation programme, [8] but was added to it by a ministerial order dated 4 March 2010. [9] A new breed standard was approved on 24 March 2010 in a resolution which also authorised the breeders' association, the Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Gallinas Selectas de Pura Raza Castellana, to maintain the flock book for the breed. [10] The Castellana Negra is listed among the indigenous breeds at risk of extinction. [9]

Characteristics

The Castellana Negra is of Mediterranean type, lightly built and of medium size. Cocks weigh 2.8–3 kg and hens about 2.3 kg. [1] :625 The plumage is entirely black, with metallic greenish lights. The comb is single, with five or six well-defined points. The comb, face and wattles are red, the earlobes white. The beak is black or horn-coloured, and the legs and feet are the colour of dark slate. [1] [9]

Comb (anatomy) crest on the top of the head of some gallinaceous birds

A comb is a fleshy growth or crest on the top of the head of gallinaceous birds, such as turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens. Its alternative name cockscomb reflects that combs are generally larger on males than on females. There can be several fleshy protuberances on the heads and throats of gallinaceous birds, i.e. the comb, wattle, and earlobe, which collectively are called caruncles, however, in turkeys caruncle refers specifically to the fleshy nodules on the head and throat.

Wattle (anatomy) fleshy caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds and mammals

A wattle is a fleshy caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds and mammals. A caruncle is defined as 'A small, fleshy excrescence that is a normal part of an animal's anatomy'. Within this definition, caruncles in birds include those found on the face, wattles, dewlaps, snoods and earlobes. Wattles are generally paired structures but may occur as a single structure when it is sometimes known as a dewlap. Wattles are frequently organs of sexual dimorphism. In some birds, caruncles are erectile tissue and may or may not have a feather covering.

Use

Castellana Negra hens start laying at 4–5 months; they lay 200–225 white eggs per year, with an average weight of about 60 g. [1] :626

Related Research Articles

Galician horse breed of small horse from Galicia, Spain

The Galician or Galician Mountain Horse, Spanish: Caballo de Pura Raza Gallega, Galician: Raza Equina Cabalo Galego do Monte, is a breed of small horse from Galicia, in north-western Spain. It is genetically very close to the Garrano breed of northern Portugal. It was in the past used as a war-horse and in agriculture; it is now raised principally for meat. The horses are bay or black.

The Pita Pinta Asturiana is the only breed of chicken indigenous to the principality of Asturias, in north-western Spain.

Sayaguesa cattle breed

The Sayaguesa is an endangered Spanish breed of domestic cattle. It is named for the comarca of Sayago in the province of Zamora, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León, and is raised almost exclusively in that area. It may also be known as the Zamorana, the Moles de Sayago or the Castellana variedad Sayaguesa. It was traditionally kept mainly for draught work, but is now raised principally for meat.

Minorca chicken breed of chicken

The Minorca, Catalan: Gallina de Menorca, Spanish: Menorquina, is a breed of domestic chicken originating in the Mediterranean island of Menorca, in the Balearic Islands to the south-east of Spain. It is a well-known exhibition bird in many countries of the world, but in the island of Menorca is an endangered breed and considered to be at risk of extinction.

Catalana Spanish breed of domestic chicken

The Catalana, Catalan: Pota Blava, Spanish: Gallina del Prat or Catalana del Prat, is a Spanish breed of domestic chicken. It originates in the area of El Prat de Llobregat in the comarca of Baix Llobregat, in Catalonia in eastern Spain. It may also be called the Catalana del Prat Leonada or Buff Catalana for its golden plumage. The Catalana is a hardy dual-purpose breed kept for both eggs and meat.

White-faced Black Spanish breed of chicken

The Spanish or White-faced Black Spanish, Spanish: Cara Blanca or Española Cara Blanca, is a breed of domestic chicken which originated in Spain, but was largely bred to its present type in Great Britain in the eighteenth century. It is an older breed than the Minorca. It is distributed throughout the world, but is rare in Spain.

Penedesenca breed of chicken

The Penedesenca is a breed of chicken originating in the Spanish region of Catalonia, in the area around Vilafranca del Penedès, the main town of the historical Penedès region. It was developed in the first half of the 20th century from native barnyard chickens, and today is noted for its dark brown eggs, said to be among the darkest of any breed of chicken.

La Universidad Gerardo Barrios es una Universidad Privada ubicada en la oriental San Miguel, El Salvador. La Universidad Gerardo Barrios (UGB) fue fundada el 5 de diciembre de 1,981 en el centro histórico de la ciudad de San Miguel en El Salvador. Su sede central se ubicó en la casa donde nació Juan José Cañas, compositor de la letra del Himno Nacional de El Salvador.

Verata goat goat breed

The Verata is a traditional Spanish breed of domestic goat. It is a dual-purpose breed, reared both for its meat and for its milk. It is named for, and is thought to originate in, the comarca of La Vera, in the province of Cáceres, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Extremadura in western central Spain. It is one of two traditional goat breeds in Extremadura, the other being the Retinta Extremeña.

Catalan donkey

The Catalan donkey is a breed of large domestic donkey from Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain and south-western France. Approximately 80% of the population is in Catalonia, and approximately 20% is in the historic Roussillon region of France.

ICONA organization

Instituto para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, better known by its acronym ICONA (1971–1995) was the administrative entity that was established in Spain in order to preserve and research the natural environment in the Spanish territory.

Basque Mountain Horse

The Basque Mountain Horse is a breed of horse from the Basque Country of Spain and France. It is listed in the Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España, the official catalogue of livestock breeds of Spain, in the group of autochthonous breeds in danger of extinction. The original breed standard of the "Euskal Herriko Mendiko Zaldia / Caballo de Monte del País Vasco", officially approved on 21 July 1999 and published in the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, the official bulletin of the Basque Country, was repealed in 2015 and replaced with a new one.

Zamorano-Leonés Spanish breed of donkey

The Zamorano-Leonés is a breed of large domestic donkey from the provinces of Zamora and León, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, in north-western Spain. The name derives from those of the two provinces.

Asno de las Encartaciones

The Asno de las Encartaciones, Basque: Enkarterriko asto, is a breed of small domestic donkey from the western part of the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in north-east Spain. It is named for the comarca of Las Encartaciones (Enkarterri), in the province of Biscay (Bizkaia). It is the only small donkey breed of Spain, and resembles the Gascon donkey, now a sub-type of the Pyrenean donkey. The Asno de las Encartaciones is critically endangered, and is protected by conservation measures.

The Majorera is an endangered breed of small domestic donkey indigenous to the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of southern Morocco. There are approximately 200 of the donkeys; almost all are on the island of Fuerteventura, with a small number on Lanzarote. The name derives from majorero, a demonym for the people of Fuerteventura. The Majorera is a small donkey of African origin, and is the only equine breed of the archipelago.

The Fariñeiro or Galician: 'Burro Fariñeiro' is a breed of small domestic donkey indigenous to the autonomous community of Galicia, in north-west Spain. Its name derives from its former use as a pack animal to transport sacks of flour. It may also be referred to as the Spanish: 'Asno Gallego'. It does not have official recognition, and its numbers are severely reduced. It is found mainly in the Península del Morrazo in the province of Pontevedra, in the area surrounding Betanzos in the province of A Coruña, in the comarcas of the los Ancares and O Caurel areas of the province of Lugo and in the mountains of the province of Ourense.

Euskal Oiloa breed of chicken

The Euskal Oiloa, Spanish: Gallina Vasca, is a breed of domestic chicken from the autonomous community of the Basque Country in north-eastern Spain and south-western France. It is the traditional rural chicken of the area, a rustic dual-purpose breed of Atlantic type, and differs from Mediterranean Spanish breeds such as the Castellana Negra and the Minorca in several respects: it has yellow legs and feet, red earlobes, and lays brown eggs.

Palmera cattle cattle breed

The Palmera is an endangered breed of cattle from the island of San Miguel de La Palma, in the Spanish autonomous community of the Canary Islands. The cattle are not indigenous to the island, but were brought by European settlers in the fifteenth century. The Palmera derives from the Rubia Gallega breed of Galicia. It is distributed mostly in the municipalities of Breña Alta, Breña Baja, El Paso, Garafía, Los Llanos de Aridane and Villa de Mazo, with small numbers in the municipalities of Puntagorda, Santa Cruz de La Palma and Tijarafe; a few may be found on the islands of Fuerteventura and Tenerife.

Albera (cattle)

The Albera is an endangered breed of small cattle indigenous to the Albera Massif, which divides Catalonia from France and lies partly in the comarca of Alt Empordà in the Catalan province of Girona, and partly in the comarca of Vallespir in the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales. The cattle are highly resistant to cold, though susceptible to heat, and are well adapted to the steep terrain of the massif.

The National Environmental Award was an annual honor given by Spain's Ministry of Environment from 1986 to 2009. Several prizes were awarded, some of them bearing the names of distinguished naturalists such as Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and Lucas Mallada. In 2009, its last year, each of the two awardees was endowed with 22,000 euros.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (eds.) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN   9788449109461. p. 622–623.
  2. ↑ APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
  5. ↑ Julio C. Gázquez (2012). Al rescate de la gallina castellana negra (in Spanish). Integral: Vive mejor en un mundo mejor387: 36–39.
  6. ↑ José Luis Campo Chavarri (2010). Razas españolas de gallinas. El programa de conservación del INIA (1975–2010) (in Spanish). Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria. doi:10.1017/S2078633612000215
  7. ↑ Fernando Orozco, José Luis Campo (January 1981). Desarrollo del programa de conservación de razas españolas de gallinas (in Spanish). Selecciones avícolas23 (1): 3–7.
  8. ↑ Real Decreto 2129/2008, de 26 de diciembre, por el que se establece el Programa nacional de conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas ganaderas (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado23 (27 January 2009): I: 9211.
  9. 1 2 3 Orden ARM/574/2010, de 4 de marzo, por la que se modifica el anexo I del Real Decreto 2129/2008, de 26 de diciembre, por el que se establece el Programa nacional de conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas ganaderas (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado62 (12 March 2010): I: 24842.
  10. ↑ Resolución de 24 mar 2010, de la Dirección Géneral del Medio Ambiente, por la que se reconoce oficialmente a la Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Gallinas Selectas de Pura Raza Castellana para la llevanza del Libro Genealógico de la raza Castellana Negra y se aprueba la Reglamentación Especifica … (in Spanish). Comunidad de Madrid: Dirección Géneral del Medio Ambiente. Accessed September 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.