Barrosã
A cow | |
A bull | |
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Maiana[3]: 24 |
| Country of origin | Portugal |
| Distribution | |
| Standard | Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (page 20, in Portuguese) |
| Use | dual-purpose, meat and draught work[4]: 288 |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| |
The Barrosã is a traditional Portuguese breed of dual-purpose cattle, reared both for beef and for draught work.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Its name derives from that of the Terras de Barroso, a plateau and cultural and historical region in the concelhos of Montalegre and Boticas in the District of Vila Real in northern Portugal.[12][13]
Meat from the animals – if produced within a defined geographical area and under strict conditions – has Denominação de Origem Protegida status and may be marketed as Carne Barrosã DOP.[14][15][12]
History
In 1940 a census conducted by the Direcção Geral dos Serviços Pecuários found a total 224062 head of the cattle in the districts of Braga, Porto, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real.[13]
In 2019, the herd-book recorded 355 purebred adult males and 6775 purebred females, managed by 1,926 Barrosã breed breeders.[16]
Characteristics
The average birth weight is 26.58 kg.[12]
Cows reach puberty between 15 and 18 months, with the first calving occurring between 24 and 36 months. The average calving interval is around 420 days. From 18 months of age, bulls can be used for breeding, and semen collection for artificial insemination can begin at around 16 months.[12]
Use
Meat from the animals – if produced under strict conditions – has Denominação de Origem Protegida status and may be marketed as Carne Barrosã DOP.[14][15][12] To be eligible, the cattle must have been registered in the herd-book and must have been born, reared and slaughtered within a defined area consisting of the concelhos of Amares, Braga, Cabeceiras de Basto, Celorico de Basto, Fafe, Guimarães, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Terras de Bouro, Vieira do Minho, Vila Verde and Vizela in the District of Braga; of Felgueiras and Paços de Ferreira in the District of Porto; of Arcos de Valdevez, Melgaço, Monção, Ponte da Barca, Ponte de Lima, Paredes de Coura and Valença in the District of Viana do Castelo; and of Boticas and Montalegre in the District of Vila Real.[15]
The meat is marketed under four types, depending on the age of the animal: vitela, from veal calves slaughtered at between 5 and 9 months of age, with minimum carcass weight of 70 kg; vitelão, from calves of either sex, aged from 9 to 12 months; novilho, from young cattle of either sex, aged from 12 to 36 months; and vaca, from animals over 3 years old; the minimum weight for all older cattle is the same, 130 kg.[15]
References
- ^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to: The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Breed data sheet: Barrosa / Portugal (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2025.
- ^ Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2002). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types, and Varieties (fifth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 085199430X.
- ^ Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN 9789054390176.
- ^ Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
- ^ Bovinos - Raça Barrosã (in Portuguese). Vale de Santarém: Sociedade Portuguesa de Recursos Genéticos Animais. Archived 25 August 2025.
- ^ J.C. Mateus, M.C.T. Penedo, V.C. Alves, M. Ramos, Teresa Rangel-Figueiredo (2004). Genetic diversity and differentiation in Portuguese cattle breeds using microsatellites. Animal Genetics. 35 (2): 106–113. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2004.01089.x (subscription required).
- ^ Teresa Rangel-Figueiredo, Leopoldo Iannuzzi (1993). Frequency and distribution of rob (1;29) in three Portuguese cattle breeds. Hereditas. 119 (3): 233–237. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1993.00233.x. (subscription required).
- ^ A Raça (in Portuguese). Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã. Archived 25 August 2025.
- ^ Raça Barrosã (in Portuguese). Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã. Archived 28 July 2025.
- ^ A Associação (in Portuguese). Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã. Archived 28 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Raça Barrosã (in Portuguese). Boticas: Organização de Produtores de Carne da Cooperativa Agro Rural de Boticas. Archived 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b Efectivo (in Portuguese). Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã. Archived 21 April 2024.
- ^ a b Carne Barrosã DOP (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Direção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural. Archived 10 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d Carne Barrosã: Denominação de Origem Protegida: Caderno de Especificações (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Direção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural. Archived 11 June 2024.
- ^ [s.n.] (2021). Catálogo Oficial de Raças Autóctones Portuguesas (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal; Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária. Archived 19 January 2024.