Portugal

Barrosã

Information

Breed name: Barrosã
Local breed name: Barrosã
Breed size: < 9.000 breeding females and < 350 breeding males
Species: Bos taurus 
Breed associations: AMIBA – Accociacão dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raca Barrosã
Link to website: www.amiba.pt/index.php 

Breed specific characteristics

  • Medium-sized, with concave profile and brown-blond coat colour
  • Meat (denomination of origin) and draft
  • Magnificent lyre-shaped horns and short face; strong sexual dimorphism
  • Easy to keep, well-adapted to the highlands of northwestern Portugal
  • Friendly character

Images

Barrosa
Barrosa

Mirandesa

Information

Breed name: Mirandesa
Local breed name: Mirandesa
Breed size: < 5000 breeding females and < 250 breeding males
Species: Bos taurus 
Breed associations: ACRBM – Associacão dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raca Mirandesa
Link to website: www.mirandesa.pt/contuendo.php?dm=2 

Breed specific characteristics

  • Large and compact animal, light to dark brown coat colour, fringe of blond hair on the head and along the spine, pigmented skin in the nose and around the eyes
  • Meat (denomination of origin) and draft
  • Longhorns, strong sexual dimorphism
  • Longevity, well-adapted to the northeastern region of Porgugal – the Miranda plateau
  • Friendly and curious character

Images

Mirandesa

Mertolenga

Information

Breed name: Mertolenga
Local breed name: Mertolenga
Breed size: < 15.000 breeding females and < 250 breeding males
Species: Bos taurus 
Breed associations: ACBM – Associacão dos Criadores de Bovinos Mertolengos
Link to website: https://www.mertolenga.com/index/php

Breed specific characteristics

  • Medium-sized, sub-convex profile with three coat colour varieties: solid red called ‘vermelho’, red roan known as ‘rosiho mil-flores’, and red-brown spots on a white background called ‘malhado’
  • Meat (denomination of origin) and draft
  • Longhorns, some sexual dimorphism
  • Easy to keep, well-adapted to the arid lowlands of Alentejo
  • Energetic and nervous character

Images

Mertolenga
Mertolenga

Holstein Friesian

Information

Breed name: Holstein Friesian
Local breed name: Holstein
Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals
Species: Bos taurus 
Control group: OPTIBOV 

Breed specific characteristics

  • High milk production
  • Commercial breed

Images

Holstein Friesian
Breed information Portugal