The Murciano-Granadina is a Spanish
breed
A breed is a specific group of 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 several slig ...
of
dairy goat. It was created in 1975 when two existing breeds, the mahogany-coloured
Murciana of
Murcia and the black
Granadina of
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
, began to be
hybridised as a result of the official recognition of a single
herdbook
A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and 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 ...
including both breeds.
It is the most important dairy goat breed of Spain, with more than 500,000 milking females.
It originated in the semi arid areas in south eastern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, including parts of
Murcia,
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
,
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
and
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
. They were bred for two main traits,
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...
production and its ability to continue this production in dry and nutrient poor regions. They have been introduced into several areas in Latin America as well as northern Africa.
Characteristics
These goats are medium size for goats, around 30 to 50 kg for females and 50–60 kg for males. They are solid colored, usually black or mahogany colored. The breed association, ACRIMUR (''Asociación Española de Criadores de la Cabra Murciano-Granadina'', or Spanish Association of Breeders of the Murcia-Granada Goat) states that they refuse to accept any goat that had white hair even in the smallest amount as M-G. The goats have erect ears and tails, with a short, coarse coat, though it is longer in males than in females.
Genotyping of various goat breeds from southern Spain revealed that the Murciano-Granadina breed is significantly closer to the Murciana breed than any other, including the Granadina.
These goats are very good milk producers, with a
lactation
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The proces ...
period of around 210 days, often producing 500 liters of milk annually, with some individuals producing as much as twice that. Their milk has 5.6% fat, and 3.6% protein, which is better than most other goat breeds in Mediterranean Europe. In Spain this milk is primarily used for cheese production. They are also used for meat, especially due to the rapid development of their kids. The growth of Murcia-Granada kids can be improved by crossing females of this breed with a meat breed (
Boer goats
The Boer or Boerbok is a South African breed of meat goat. It was selectively bred in the Eastern Cape from about 1920 for meat qualities and for the ability to survive by grazing on the thorn veldt of that region. It has been exported to ma ...
)
These goats reproduce quickly, since they do not have a particular season for breeding, and the females can come into heat at any time of the year. Usually two kids are born per breeding, and they become sexually mature around 7 to 8 months of age.
See also
*
Murciana goat
Murciana, also called Murcian, Murcien, Murciene and Royal Murciana is a dual-purpose (for both milk and meat) breed of goat originally bred in the Murcia province along the Mediterranean coast of southeastern Spain. The main milk-producing goat b ...
*
Granadina goat
References
External links
Meatier goats could double farmers’ profits Asociación de Criadores de Raza Murciano-Granadina
Goat breeds
Goat breeds originating in Spain
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