Serra da Estrela (sheep)

Serra da Estrela
a white-woolled sheep with small horns grazing
Conservation status
Country of originPortugal
DistributionBeiras e Serra da Estrela
Usemilk, lamb
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    70 kg[2]
  • Female:
    50 kg[2]
Height
  • Male:
    90 cm[2]
  • Female:
    80 cm[2]
Wool colourusually white; 10% have black wool
Face colouras wool
Horn statushorned in both sexes

The Serra da Estrela is a Portuguese breed of domestic sheep. It originates in the Serra da Estrela range of mountains in the Beiras e Serra da Estrela sub-region of east-central Portugal, and is distributed mainly in that area.[3]: 128 

It is reared primarily for its milk, which is used in the production of the Queijo Serra da Estrela, a cheese which has European Denominação de Origem Protegida ('protected designation of origin') status.

History

The Serra da Estrela is a traditional rural breed of east-central Portugal. It originates in the Serra da Estrela range of mountains in the Beiras e Serra da Estrela sub-region of east-central Portugal, and is distributed mainly in that area.[3]: 128 

It was formerly reared under a transhumant system of management – the sheep were moved in June to high pastures on the massifs of the Serra da Estrela and on the Serra de Montemuro [pt] to the north, and were brought back down in August to lower areas such as the valley of the Mondego River.[3]: 128  The Cão da Serra da Estrela breed of flock guardian dog originates in the same area and was formerly used to protect transhumant livestock from predators.[3]: 217  In the twenty-first century, only a few flocks are moved up onto the Serra da Estrela for the summer months.[3]: 128 

A breed society, the Associação Nacional Criadores Ovinos Serra da Estrela, was set up in 1981, and began recording milk production, at first in co-operation with the administration of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. From 1984 it managed the flock book,[4] which first appeared in 1986.[5]: 340 

The sheep were formerly numerous: in 1986 the total population numbered 288000.[2] In 2024 the total number was estimated to be 44992–50045 head, with a breeding stock of 22967 ewes and 779 rams in 268 flocks;[2][6] its conservation status was listed as "at risk/vulnerable".[2]

Characteristics

The Serra da Estrela is usually white, sometimes spotted with brown on the legs and face; a black variant constitutes about 10% of the population.[7]: 907  The face, legs and belly are without wool.[3]: 129 

Use

The sheep are kept mainly for milk production. The milk is high in fat and is used – with milk from the neighbouring Bordelaria and Churra Mondegueira breeds – in the production of the Queijo Serra da Estrela, a soft cheese which has European Denominação de Origem Protegida ('protected designation of origin') status.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Serra da Estrela (sheep).
  1. ^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Breed data sheet: Serra da Estrela / Portugal (Sheep). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f [s.n.] (2021). Catálogo Oficial de Raças Autóctones Portuguesas (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal; Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária. Archived 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ A Associação (in Portuguese). Oliveira do Hospital: Associação Nacional Criadores Ovinos Serra da Estrela. Archived 26 February 2024.
  5. ^ Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2002). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types, and Varieties (fifth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 085199430X.
  6. ^ Ovinos - Raça Serra da Estrela (in Portuguese). Vale de Santarém: Sociedade Portuguesa de Recursos Genéticos Animais. Archived 13 August 2024.
  7. ^ Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  8. ^ Formaggio Serra da Estrela: Arca del Gusto. Bra, Cuneo: Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità Onlus/Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Accessed August 2024.