The Pasiega is a traditional Spanish

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 ...

of red

dairy cattle Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred with the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species '' Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was ...

from the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Cantabria Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...

in northern Spain. It originated in the

Valles Pasiegos Valles Pasiegos is an administrative ''comarca'' in Cantabria, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of the Pas and Miera rivers, each one being a natural ''comarca'' of its own. History In the whole valley, the repopulation allowed by the found ...

in south-eastern Cantabria. The name derives from that of the

Pas River The Pas River is located in the region of Cantabria in the northern part of Spain. The river flows through the autonomous community of Cantabria and empties into the Cantabric Sea. See also * List of rivers of Spain This is an incomplete lis ...

, which flows through that region. Because of the colour of its coat it may also be known as the Roja Pasiega or Rojina. The Pasiega was believed to be

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

until the late twentieth century, when a surviving group was identified. The breed was officially recognised in 2007. It is one of only two autochthonous Spanish breeds of dairy cattle, the other being the Menorquina of

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...

in the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

History

The Pasiega is a traditional

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

breed of

, and particularly of the area of the three principal towns of the

: San Pedro del Romeral,

San Roque de Riomiera San Roque de Riomiera is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. ...

and Vega de Pas.

Genetic studies Genetic analysis is the overall process of studying and researching in fields of science that involve genetics and molecular biology. There are a number of applications that are developed from this research, and these are also considered parts ...

have found it to be closely related to the Asturiana de la Montaña, Asturiana de los Valles,

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 ...

and Sayaguesa breeds of northern Spain, but not – despite the geographical proximity – to the other cattle breed of Cantabria, the

Tudanca Tudanca is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental E ...

. Pasiega cattle were traditionally managed under a type of short-range

transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...

: in spring and summer they grazed on meadows on the slopes of the mountains of the

Cordillera Cantábrica The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range () are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. They stretch for over 300 km (180 miles) across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the Galician Massif ...

; in autumn they were brought down to the valleys, and grazed the fields which had been harvested; in winter they were stabled, and fed hay and maize meal. Shelter was provided for them throughout the year; these stone-built shelters are now of cultural significance. In the nineteenth century, as

urbanisation Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It can also ...

increased and the major Spanish cities grew larger, demand for milk increased. Many Pasiego farmers moved with their cattle to the cities to supply them with milk, and the Pasiega spread through much of the country. The quantity of milk that could be produced soon became more important than the fat content, and from about 1865 imports of specialised foreign dairy cattle began. At first these were Swiss

Braunvieh The ''Braunvieh'' (, "brown cattle") or Swiss Brown is a breed or group of breeds of domestic cattle originating in Switzerland and distributed throughout the Alpine region. It falls within the "Brown Mountain" group of cattle breeds. The Swiss ...

; they were soon followed by Dutch Friesians.

Cross-breeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...

of the Pasiega with these cattle caused a decline in breed numbers, to the point that by about 1940 the breed was considered extinct. In the late twentieth century a small number of cattle of the original type were identified. 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 2006. The Pasiega was officially recognised in 2007, 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 ...

was established in 2009. In 2018 the breed population was reported to be 598 head, including 403 breeding cows and 7 bulls;

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

from a further 22 bulls was available for

artificial insemination Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse. It is a fertility treatment ...

. In 2020 the Pasiega was reported to be

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

at local level.

Characteristics

The Pasiega is fairly tall, but not heavily built. The head is short, with a broad forehead and a straight profile; the

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (anatomy) * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * Horns (novel), ''Horns'' (novel), a dar ...

are small, yellowish at the base and darker towards the tips. The limbs are long and slender. The coat is red, varying from hazelnut-coloured to a deep rich red; skin at the natural openings may be dark or pale. The cattle are hardy and rustic, well adapted to the harsh climate of the Montes del Pas and capable of

foraging Foraging is searching for wild food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce. Foraging theory is a branch of behavioral ecology that studies the foraging behavi ...

on steep or rough mountain terrain.

Use

The Pasiega is kept for milk production; the milk is used to make local cheeses, or butter for the preparation of dishes such as '' sobaos pasiegos'' or '' quesadas pasiegas''.

References

{{Cattle breeds of Spain Animal breeds originating in Cantabria Cattle breeds originating in Spain Dairy cattle breeds