Abstract

CELORIO, S. et al. Farm structural characterization of the Pasiega local bovine breed. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2011, vol.60, n.231, pp.409-412. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922011000300023.

The Pasiega cattle breed has been recently listed as endangered by the MARM (i.e. Spanish Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries). The main objective of this study was to identify the potential difficulties in developing the Pasiega conservation strategy. To get information of the structure of the Pasiega farms, we performed co to the cattle raisers. The results showed that 86.7% were family farms. Forty-seven percent of farmers surveyed derived all their income from farming and 93.3% indicated that they earned the majority (i.e. 50% or more) of their income from agriculture. Seventy-three percent of farmers surveyed were older than 50 years, with 33.3% having a farm successor. Forty-two percent of farmers had got Pasiega cattle for more than 50 years and 26.7% were members of a health defence association. The population of Pasiega cattle is scarce accounting for 359 animals (i.e. mean= 5.6 head per farmer). Eighty-seven percent of farmers had other breeds and other species. The average size of farms was 40,5 ha, being slightly higher in San Pedro del Romeral (i.e. 54.3 ha/farm). Fifteen percent of the surface belonged to farmers with 37.8% being public grassland, this percentage was slightly higher in San Pedro Romeral (i.e. 57.4%). Our results showed that the Pasiega is a rustic breed which has been traditionally managed for decades. These cattle are able to range in very steep and rough terrain to forage the natural resources of the place. Usually the Pasiega farmers earn their income by selling the animals and no by dairy production. Feeding depends on grazing in summer and hay provisioning in winter, combining both systems in spring and autumn. The Pasiega cattle graze in large areas, with stone huts distributed in a lot of plots, and many of them are communal mountain grass.

Keywords : Local dairy bovine; Production system.

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