The Minhota or Galega is a Portuguese

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

. It is reared principally for

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

; in the past it was used also as a draught beast and for milk.

History

The Minhota originated in the former

Minho Minho or Miño may refer to: People * Miño (surname) * Choi Min-ho, South Korean singer and actor known mononymously as Minho Places * Minho (river) or Miño, in Portugal and Spain Jamaica * Rio Minho, a river Portugal * Minho Province ...

province of northern Portugal, from which its name derives, and particularly in the northern part thereof, now the

Viana do Castelo District The Viana do Castelo District ( ) is a district located in the northwest of Portugal, bordered on the north by Spain ( Galicia) and on the south by Braga District. It has an area of and a population of 252,011 (2006), for a density of 111.8 inha ...

. In the past it was variously known as the Minhota or as the Galega, or by both names. 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. The breed received formal recognition as the Galega in 1996; a

breed society Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

, the , was formed in that year, and a

herd-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders wh ...

established in 1997. In 2002 the name of the breed was changed to Minhota so as better to distinguish it from the Spanish

Rubia Gallega The Rubia Gallega, , is a breed of cattle native to the autonomous community of Galicia in north-western Spain. It is raised mainly for meat. It is distributed throughout Galicia, with about 75% of the population concentrated in the province of ...

breed of Galicia immediately to the north. In 2007 the

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

of the breed was listed by the

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

as "not at risk". 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 DAD-IS is the acronym for the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System, a tool developed and maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a part of its programme for management of animal genetic resources for ...

as "at risk". In 2016 it was distributed mainly in the former province of Entre-Douro-e-Minho, the modern

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

of Viana do Castelo and

Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...

; its range extends into the districts of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

and

Vila Real Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the Norte, Portugal, North region, Portugal. It is also the seat of the Douro (intermunicipal community), Douro Intermunicipal communities of Portugal, intermunicipal comm ...

, in the former provinces of

Douro Litoral Douro Litoral () is a historical province of Portugal. It is centered on the city of Porto, now the capital of the Norte Region. Other important cities in the province are Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia, Póvoa de Varzim, and the historical ...

and

Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal. Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an upland area, landlocked by the Douro and Tâmega rivers to south ...

respectively. The Minhota is

genetically Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar workin ...

close to the Ramo Grande of the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

, and may have contributed to the development of the

Arouquesa The Arouquesa is a Portuguese breed of triple-purpose cattle. It is used for draught work, although less so than in the past, is reared for beef, and has some dairy qualities. Beef from cattle reared by traditional methods within a specified ...

and the

Marinhoa The Marinhoa is a cattle breed from Portugal. A large animal with harmonious forms. Thick elastic and prominent skin; light brown coat, tending to straw; docile temperament; long and flat head; bulky but not large abdomen; long wide and deep back ...

of Portugal and the Caracu of Brazil.

Characteristics

Use

The Minhota is reared principally for

. In the past it was kept also as a draught beast and for its milk.

References

{{Cattle breeds of Portugal Cattle breeds originating in Portugal