Sayaguesa
Spanish breed of cattle
title: "Sayaguesa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cattle-breeds-originating-in-spain", "province-of-zamora"] description: "Spanish breed of cattle" topic_path: "geography/spain" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayaguesa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Spanish breed of cattle ::
::data[format=table title="infobox cattle breed"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Sayaguesa |
| image | Sayaguesa Lippeaue.JPG |
| image_alt | a dark-coloured cow with a greyish calf |
| status | FAO (2007): endangered-maintained |
| altname | |
| country | Spain |
| distribution | Comarca of Sayago, Castilla y León |
| standard | Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, Castilla y León |
| use | formerly draught; now meat |
| maleweight | |
| femaleweight | |
| maleheight | average 158 cm |
| femaleheight | average 154 cm |
| coat | black, some bleaching |
| horn | horned in both sexes |
| subspecies | taurus |
| :: |
| name = Sayaguesa | image = Sayaguesa Lippeaue.JPG | image_size = | image_alt = a dark-coloured cow with a greyish calf | image_caption = | status = FAO (2007): endangered-maintained | altname = | country = Spain | distribution = Comarca of Sayago, Castilla y León | standard = Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, Castilla y León | use = formerly draught; now meat | maleweight = | femaleweight = | maleheight = average 158 cm | femaleheight = average 154 cm | skincolor = | coat = black, some bleaching | horn = horned in both sexes | subspecies = taurus | note =
The Sayaguesa is an endangered Spanish breed of domestic cattle. It is named for the comarca of Sayago in the province of Zamora, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castilla y León, and is raised almost exclusively in that area. It may also be known as the Zamorana, the Moles de Sayago or the Castellana variedad Sayaguesa. It was traditionally kept mainly for draught work, but is now raised principally for meat.
History
The Sayaguesa was traditionally kept mainly for draught work; with the mechanisation of agriculture following the Second World War, this use declined. In the 1960s there were successive attempts to improve productive qualities by cross-breeding with Friesian, Braunvieh and Charolais, and later with other breeds. From 1970 the Sayaguesa was included with other regional breeds under the denomination Morenas del Noroeste. In 1997 it achieved separate recognition among the breeds identified by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, as "at risk of extinction". Registration of the Sayaguesa began in 1980, and in 1981 a breeders' association, the Asociación Española de Criadores de Ganado Bovino de Raza Sayaguesa, was formed. In 1998 a genealogical herd-book was established.
Between 1950 and 1981 the population of the Sayaguesa fell by about a quarter, or some head. By 2009 only about 450 head remained, on 29 farms. At the end of 2015 the population was , of which almost all were in Castilla y León.
Characteristics
The Sayaguesa is one of the largest indigenous Spanish cattle breeds. It displays considerable sexual dimorphism: bulls may weigh up to and cows up to . The height at the withers averages for bulls and for cows.
The coat is black, sometimes lighter on the underparts. There may be a paler dorsal stripe, which is often absent in cows. The insides of the ears and the area round the mouth are pale. The hooves, muzzle and natural openings are black, the horns are white at the base and tipped with black. The head is relatively small, with a concave profile. Calves are born red, and only later turn black.
The Sayaguesa is hardy, robust and frugal, and well adapted to the poor pastures and harsh environment of its native area.
Use
The Sayaguesa was traditionally kept mainly for draught work; with the mechanisation of agriculture following the Second World War, this use declined, and breeding was directed towards meat production. Calves are slaughtered at an average age of 12 months; the killing-out percentage is approximately 55%.
Pairs of cows may sometimes be yoked to carts for folklore or festival occasions.
The Sayaguesa has been used in nature conservation and in attempts to re-create the extinct aurochs.
References
References
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20161111061033/http://www.razasayaguesa.org/raza/origen-historia Origen e Historia] (in Spanish). Asociación Española de Criadores de Ganado Bovino de Raza Sayaguesa. Archived 11 November 2016.
- Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''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.
- 9781780647944.
- [https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=ESP&specie=Cattle&breed=Sayaguesa Breed data sheet: Sayaguesa / Spain (Cattle)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2025.
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060715200658/http://www.feagas.es/asociaciones/vacuno/sayaguesa.htm Raza Sayaguesa] (in Spanish). Federación Española de Asociaciones de Ganado Selecto. Archived 15 July 2006.
- Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). ''Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas'' (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. {{isbn. 9788449109461.
- [http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/sayaguesa/default.aspx Raza bovina Sayaguesa: Datos Generales] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed November 2016.
- [http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/sayaguesa/iframe-ejemplo-arca.aspx Raza bovina Sayaguesa: Datos Censales] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed November 2016.
- [http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/sayaguesa/usos_sistema.aspx Raza bovina Sayaguesa: Usos y sistema de explotación] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed November 2016.
- [http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/sayaguesa/datos_morfologicos.aspx Raza bovina Sayaguesa: Datos Morfológicos] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed November 2016.
- [http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/sayaguesa/datos_productivos.aspx Raza bovina Sayaguesa: Datos productivos] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed November 2016.
- [s.n.] (23 November 1998). [http://bocyl.jcyl.es/boletines/1998/11/23/pdf/BOCYL-D-23111998-3.pdf ORDEN de 30 de octubre de 1998, de la Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, por la que se crea el Libro de Registro Genealógico de la Raza Bovina Sayaguesa y se aprueba su funcionamiento] (in Spanish). ''Boletín Oficial de Castilla y Léon''. '''225'''.
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