Euskal Oiloa

Last updated

Euskal Oiloa
Euskal oiloa BELTZA barietateko OILARRA.jpg
The Beltza variety
Other names Spanish: Gallina Vasca
Country of originSpain
Standard MAGRAMA (in Spanish)
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    3.6 kg [1]
  • Female:
    2.5 kg [1]
Egg colorbrown
Comb typesingle
Classification
APA no [2]
EE France, Spain [3]
PCGB no [4]
Notes
yellow legs, red earlobes

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. [1]

Contents

History

The Euskal Oiloa is the traditional chicken of the Basque rural economy. It was distributed throughout the historical territories of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, and gave both meat and brown eggs. In the twentieth century it was at first not threatened by imported commercial hybrid layer chickens and the spread of highly intensive chicken farming methods, as breeds such as the Leghorn laid white eggs, while Basque consumers preferred brown. Later, when brown-egg commercial hybrids appeared, they began to displace the traditional breed in many households.

Selective breeding of the Euskal Oiloa was begun in 1975 as part of the conservation programme for indigenous chicken breeds of the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, the national public agrarian research institute. [5] The decision to seek official breed status for these birds was taken at that time. [6] A breed association, the Asociación de Criadores de Razas Aviares Vascas or EOALAK, was founded in 2006. [7]

The breed standard of the Euskal Oiloa was officially approved on 15 March 2001. [8] It is 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, where it is listed among the indigenous breeds at risk of extinction. [9] At the end of 2013 a population of 10,872 birds was reported, all from the País Vasco. [10]

Characteristics

The Euskal Oiloa is a medium-heavy breed: cocks weigh about 3.6 kg, hens about 2.5 kg. [1] The comb is single, with five to seven well-defined points. The comb, face, wattles and earlobes are red; the earlobes are narrow and pointed. The beak is curved in the cock, less so in the hen. The legs, feet and skin are yellow. [8]

Five colour varieties are recognized: Beltza (black), Gorria (red), Lepasoila (naked-necked, red-brown), Marraduna (golden cuckoo) and Zilarra (black-tailed white). The Lepasoila, like other naked-necked chickens, has red skin on the neck. [8] [11]

Use

Euskal Oiloa hens lay 209–220 brown eggs [11] weighing about 60 g per year. [8] Much of the meat production is in the form of capons; chemical castration is not used. In 2008 the Euskal Oiloa was added to the Slow Food Ark of Taste. [7] [11]

Related Research Articles

Pita Pinta Asturiana Breed of chicken

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

Andalusian chicken Breed of chicken

The Andalusian or Blue Andalusian, Spanish: Andaluza Azul, is a breed of domestic chicken indigenous to the autonomous community of Andalusia in south-west Spain. It is distributed through much of the countryside of Córdoba and Seville, and is concentrated particularly in the area of Utrera, which is considered the heartland of the breed. In 2009 the population was estimated at 10,000 birds.

Basque Shepherd Dog Dog breed

The Basque Shepherd Dog, Basque: Euskal Artzain Txakurra, Spanish: Perro de Pastor Vasco, is a traditional Spanish breed of sheepdog originating in the historic Basque Country. It is believed that they originated from Central European herding dogs.

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.

Pachón Navarro Dog breed

The Pachón Navarro is a Spanish breed of hunting dog from the autonomous community of Navarre, in northern Spain. It is one of five Basque breeds of dog, the others being the Basque Shepherd Dog, the Erbi Txakur, the Villano de Las Encartaciones and the Villanuco de Las Encartaciones.

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.

Basque breeds and cultivars

There are a number of Basque breeds and cultivars. These are domesticated animals that have been bred - or plant species cultivated - for particular traits and features by Basque people in the Basque Country.

Asturcón

The Asturcón is an ancient breed of small horse or pony from the autonomous region of Asturias in northern Spain. It has been documented since Roman times: it has an unusual ambling gait, which was described by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia. It is of Celtic type, and shows similarity to the Pottok and Losino of Spain, the Garrano of Portugal, and the Dartmoor, Exmoor, Fell, Highland, Shetland and Welsh breeds of the British Isles.

Burguete horse Spanish breed of horse

The Burguete is a Spanish breed of horse from the autonomous community of Navarre in north-eastern Spain. It is listed in the Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España in the group of autochthonous breeds in danger of extinction. It is reared principally for horsemeat.

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.

Betizu

The Betizu is a breed of small mountain cattle which live in a semi-feral state in some mountainous parts of the Basque Country in both Basque Country and France. It is classified as an endangered breed by both the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the agriculture ministry of Spain, and by the Conservatoire des Races d'Aquitaine in France.

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.

Castellana Negra Spanish breed of domestic chicken

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.

Terreña Spanish breed of cattle

The Terreña, Basque: Behi terreña, is an endangered breed of mountain cattle indigenous to the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain. It is distributed mostly in the provinces of Álava and Bizkaia, with some localised populations in Gipuzkoa.

Palmera cattle

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.

The Villanuco de Las Encartaciones, Basque: Enkarterriko Billanuko, is a Spanish breed of small dog of ratter type. It originates in the comarca of Enkarterri in the Basque Autonomous Community in northern Spain. It is one of five Basque breeds of dog, the others being the Basque Shepherd Dog, the Erbi Txakur, the Pachón de Vitoria and the Villano de Las Encartaciones, and one of fourteen animal breeds native to the País Vasco.

Monchina Spanish breed of cattle

The Monchina, Basque: Behi montxina, is a Spanish breed of mountain cattle indigenous to the autonomous communities of Cantabria and the Basque Country in northern Spain. It is related to the Betizu and possibly to the Terreña breeds of cattle of the Basque Country, and is closely associated with the Villano de las Encartaciones breed of dog, which is traditionally used in managing it. It is classified by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, as a "Raza Autóctona en Peligro de Extinción" or native breed at risk of extinction.

Azpi Gorri Spanish breed of goat

The Azpi Gorri is a traditional Spanish breed of domestic goat. It originates in the historical Basque Country, and is the only recognised goat breed of that area. It is distributed in the northern part of the province of Álava and in southern Bizkaia, with a few herds in the autonomous community of Navarre.

The Euskal Antzara is a traditional Spanish breed of domestic goose. It originates in the historical Basque Country. It is the only recognised goose breed of that area, and one of two Spanish breeds of goose, the other being the Oca Empurdanesa. It is distributed mainly in the comarca of Enkarterri in the province of Bizkaia, particularly in the areas of Abanto, Balmaseda, Güeñes, Karrantza and Zalla.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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. 632–634.
  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. ↑ 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
  6. ↑ Fernando Orozco, José Luis Campo (January 1981). Desarrollo del programa de conservación de razas españolas de gallinas (in Spanish). Selecciones avícolas23 (1): 3–7.
  7. 1 2 Estándar Euskal Oiloa (in Spanish). Asociación de Criadores de Razas Aviares Vascas = Euskal Oilo eta Antzarren Hazitzaileen Elkartea. Accessed September 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 ORDEN de 15 de marzo de 2001, del Consejero de Agricultura y Pesca, por la que se aprueba la reglamentación específica de la raza aviar 'Euskal Oiloa' (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del País Vasco54 (16 March 2001): 5233–39.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Raza aviar EUSKAL OILOA: Datos Censales (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed September 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Ark of Taste: Basque Chicken Euskal Oiloa. Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. 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.