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Minhota
from Wikipedia
Minhota
Conservation status
Other namesGalega
Country of originPortugal
Distributionformer province of Minho, principally Viana do Castelo
Use
Traits
Height
  • Male:
    145 cm[3]: 245 
  • Female:
    140 cm[3]: 245 
  • Cattle
  • Bos (primigenius) taurus

The Minhota or Galega is a Portuguese breed of cattle. It is reared principally for beef; in the past it was used also as a draught beast and for milk.

History

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The Minhota originated in the former Minho province of northern Portugal, from which its name derives, and particularly in the northern part thereof, now the Viana do Castelo District.[3]: 245 

In the past it was variously known as the Minhota or as the Galega, or by both names.[4] It was widespread and numerous; in the middle years of the nineteenth century it numbered about 65 000 head, and constituted some 50% of all cattle in Minho. By 1940 numbers had fallen to about 9500.[5] The breed received formal recognition as the Galega in 1996;[3]: 245  a breed society, the Associação Portuguesa dos Criadores de Bovinos da Raça Minhota, was formed in that year, and a herd-book established in 1997.[6] In 2002 the name of the breed was changed to Minhota so as better to distinguish it from the Spanish Rubia Gallega breed of Galicia immediately to the north.[4]

In 2007 the conservation status of the breed was listed by the FAO as "not at risk".[1]: 92  In 2016 the population was reported to be about 13 000 head, with 120 bulls and over 7000 breeding cows. In 2021 its status was reported to DAD-IS as "at risk".[2] In 2016 it was distributed mainly in the former province of Entre-Douro-e-Minho, the modern districts of Viana do Castelo and Braga; its range extends into the districts of Porto and Vila Real, in the former provinces of Douro Litoral and Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro respectively.[7]

The Minhota is genetically close to the Ramo Grande of the Azores, and may have contributed to the development of the Arouquesa[8]: 289  and the Marinhoa of Portugal[3]: 239  and the Caracu of Brazil.[9]: 170 

Characteristics

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Use

[edit]

The Minhota is reared principally for beef. In the past it was kept also as a draught beast and for its milk.[8]: 281 [10]: 5477 

References

[edit]
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