Indigenous Races Of The Valencian Community
Among the breeds of cattle that live in the Iberian Peninsula, the native breeds of the Region of Valencia are of special interest, due to their geographical situation, which is very different from the rest of Spain.
Authentic breeds of the Valencian Community: birds
If anything sets Valencia’s native breeds apart, it is their poultry production, and specifically that of pigeons.
The “Valencian figurine” is a good example; about to disappear, it is considered the first autochthonous peninsular race. On the other hand, the new “Valenciano buchón” is another popular pigeon in the community.
Among the breeds native to Valencia, there is also the chulilla chicken. A breed with a powerful beak and strong crest, with a black color over much of its body.
This hen, originally from the region of Los Serranos, is a traditional laying hen from the area that has survived to this day.
small ruminants
Although the origin of this goat breed is not the Valencian Community as such, it is true that it is one of the most common goat breeds in the region.
We are talking about the murcia-garnet goat, which is also relatively popular outside the European Union. This dark-skinned dairy breed is hardy and has a great herding capacity.
It is widely used for cheese production and, in addition, its wide production matches its robustness: it is an animal that can withstand bad weather, making it ideal for livestock.
But if there is an important breed from Valencia, it is the Guirra sheep. This sheep uses very poor pasture areas and, in addition, is able to feed on agricultural by-products.
Among them we can mention vine leaves, olive and citrus branches and almond husks, which are some of the most characteristic products of the Valencia area.
Indigenous breeds of the Valencian Community: cattle
Another breed native to Valencia, and of great importance, is the Murcian-Levantine cow; whose name comes from its distribution, which is limited to Andalusia (Almeria), Murcia and Valencia (Alicante).
It is a breed quite different from the other bovine breeds in the Iberian Peninsula, but we can characterize it as an autochthonous breed in danger of extinction and selected to produce meat.
Most cattle are found in mountainous areas and in the Mediterranean climate. It is a brown breed with a calm temperament that exceeds 500 kilos.
Indigenous breeds of the Valencian Community: Murcian chato
This black pig is distributed over a few centers in the south of the Region of Valencia and Murcia.
It is a breed in the recovery phase, because it was on the verge of extinction, in the mid-20th century, due to the introduction of European breeds. It is one of the breeds that has been studied to understand the domestication of pigs.
However, this pig breed has been of great importance in this area of the peninsula, as it constitutes one of the main sources of energy for the region’s vegetable garden owners. In addition, it feeds on vegetable residues from the gardens.
Once again, the native races of the Region of Valencia show us how interesting it is to get to know them in order to understand the development and history of the different regions of Spain.
