Caldela
History
The Caldelá is a cattle breed native to the Galicia north-western of Spain.
The race is characterized by a black cape and hooked horns. It is bred exclusively in extensive production systems. Its meat is sold under the brand name of the Association of breeders "100% Raza Autóctona Caldelá".
Status DAD – IS (FAO)
Caldela is a local indigenous breed considered as endangered-maintained. According to its most recent report in 2017, there are 987 breeding females.
Interventions of conservation programs
The main actions applied through the conservation programs are as follows.
The conservation actions were initiated in 1991 by the Xunta de Galicia. There is an ex situ breeding center at the Centro de Recursos Zooxenéticos de Galicia in the Pazo de Fontefiz with stallions and breeding females and with a bank of semen and embryos. This Center provides stallions at a low cost in order to facilitate mating. Therefore, there is a close relationship between in situ and ex situ conservation.
The bulls are used with the aim of not increasing inbreeding. The bulls are used in different farms under the supervision of the veterinarians of the conservation program, and they are assigned according to criteria of low consanguinity. From 1991 until 2005, the bulls were authorized by the center of fontefiz, since 2005 are authorized by the association of breeders after the assignment of competences of the Caldelá genealogical book.
Since 2005, breeders must apply to the breeders association and be authorized for exploitation, after which they receive a list of stallions compatible with the females of their herds.
The breed benefits from the support of the European Union for breeds in danger of extinction, which are paid per head of productive animal that is registered in the herd book and participates in the conservation program.
Results
Over the 1996-2015 period, the number of registrations per four year-period has increased from 284 to 1750 animals. In the same time, the effective population size considering the two last generations (NeCiR), as an indicator of genetic variability, has increased from 43 to 115, with a peak at 145 in the 2009-2012 period, illustrating a global success of conservations interventions.
Related links
- http://www.mapama.gob.es/
- http://dad.FAO.org/
- http://Boaga.es/
- http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/arca/raza-autoctona.aspx
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