The Malaga goat

Originally from the province of Malaga after which it is named, this breed has now spread to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaen, Cadiz and Almeria, as well as to the rest of south western Spain and North Africa.

There are currently some 200,000 heads of cattle of this particular breed.

The animal in question is first and foremost a dairy breed whose average milk production ranges between 450 and 500 litres per lactation.

Morphologically speaking, its profile is straight or slightly convex, and the animal is of below average length and average weight, the live male ranging from 60 to 75 kg and the live female between 45 and 60 kg.

Its plain coat varies in colour from light brown to extremely dark.

The animal’s adaptability to different production systems and the high productivity associated with its rusticity mean that this breed offers great potential for development, not only here in the Mediterranean basin but also in the countries of North Africa and Latin America.

The Payoya goat

Also known as “Montejaqueña”, this species has been granted special protection as an indigenous breed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

In morphological terms, these animals have coats of more than one colour and are extremely tall and long, a reflection of the painstaking selection process undertaken by breeders in their quest to produce an animal capable of grazing on pastures located in difficult mountain terrain. At the same time, they did not overlook the need to choose animals with excellent milk-producing capabilities.

The Payoya goat has traditionally been reared in the area now occupied by Sierra de Grazalema and Serrania de Ronda Natural Park, though nowadays it can also be found in most of the municipalities that make up the White Village Route in the Sierra de Cadiz, locations of enormous natural value, and even in Ronda and its neighbouring villages.

The economic impact of the goat in this area is of great importance to the primary sector as a whole and in particular to cattle farming, which is responsible for a high percentage of the total income of many families.

The Payoya breed of goat is, by virtue of its system of exploitation, which is essentially extensive and semi-extensive, a variety of livestock that lives in perfect harmony with its environment, making a significant contribution to the maintenance of the landscape and population alike in areas which are of great natural value but at the same time characterised by harsh climatic conditions and mountainous terrain.

This is an animal which is wholly compatible with the concept of sustainable development of the rural environment via the production of top-quality produce. Properly farmed, it also makes a key contribution to the conservation and maintenance of mountain areas.

The Florida goat

This breed was first produced in the Lower Valley of the River Guadalquivir in the early XX century by crossing Pyrenean and Pubiano stock.

It is currently to be found in the provinces of Seville, Cordoba, Badajoz, Huelva, Cadiz, Granada, Malaga and Ciudad Real.

It has adapted to both the semi-extensive exploitation systems favoured in mountain zones and the stables preferred in the countryside and in crop-growing areas.

Morphologically speaking, this breed is of convex profile and above average length and weight, the live male ranging from 80 to 120 kg and the live female generally weighing around 60 kg.

Its coat is generally fully or partially dappled, the colours being either red with white spots or white with red spots, though black with white spots is another possible combination.

The Murcia-Granada Goat

This breed owes its name to the two provinces in which it first appeared. Its most distinctive characteristic is its high degree of specialisation as far as milk production is concerned.

It has long occupied a privileged position among Spanish breeds of goat, having even been used to improve native Argentinian stock in 1910.

Though mainly concentrated in the south and east of the peninsula, its outstanding qualities ensure that this particular breed is to be found in most areas of Spain, as well as in other countries in Europe, the American continent and Africa.

The Murcia-Granada goat is of slightly concave profile and average weight and proportions, though it tends to be above average in length, requirements that must be fulfilled by all examples of the breed in order for them to be registered in the Genealogical Book.

Qualities and Aptitudes

A high capacity for ADAPTATION to diverse climates and temperatures, including unfavourable conditions with a continental climate and high aridity, as well as to different systems of exploitation (pasture and stabling).

RUSTICITY. The breed is capable of feeding in areas where other species cannot, consuming produce that would otherwise serve no useful purpose.

HIGH PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY. When properly selected, fed, looked after and farmed, these goats yield high productivity at low cost.

QUALITY PRODUCTS. Kid’s meat, dairy products and goat’s hide are top-quality products for which there is ample demand in the market.

The EASE with which tasks can be mechanised, a consequence of the selection process undertaken by our breeders to ensure easy adaptation to mechanical milking.

The Grazalema Merina sheep

The Grazalema Merina is a native Andalusian breed of sheep estimated by the FAO and the European Zootechnical Federation to be in danger of extinction.

It is mainly concentrated in the vicinity of Grazalema Natural Park in the Sierra de Cadiz and in the Serrania de Ronda mountains in the province of Malaga.

This breed of sheep is noted for its rusticity, adapting perfectly to medium and high altitudes and heavy rainfall. It appears to have originally been a cross between the merina and churra breeds, from which it subsequently diverged due to its isolation in the aforementioned areas and its exposure to the closed system of reproduction.

The sheep is reared for both its milk and its meat, with extensive systems traditionally being favoured. The animal’s milk-producing capacity is more than satisfactory, its lactation period running from January to June. Due to its high fat content and percentage of protein, its milk is used to produce the top-quality cheeses for which the area is famed, such as “Grazalema Cheese”.

In social terms, the breed has made, and indeed continues to make, a key contribution to the preservation of culture and traditions by ensuring sustainable rural development in the area. It also plays a major role in the Grazalema textile industry in the shape of its famous capote and estribera blankets, which have served to protect shepherds from the rain over the years. These blankets are given a special treatment by immersing them in oil and passing them through a fulling mill, a process which makes them virtually impermeable and extremely durable.

The development of this breed, in conjunction with the artisan industry that depends heavily on its produce, makes a key contribution to the development of the rural locations in which it is reared, as well as helping to maintain the environment in these protected areas and ensuring the survival of their culture and traditions.