Garvonesa
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Chamusca |
| Country of origin | Portugal |
| Distribution | Alentejo |
| |
The Garvonesa or Chamusca is a Portuguese breed of draught cattle originating in the historic region of Alentejo, in southern Portugal.[3]: 299 It is distributed principally in the concelhos or former concelhos of Alcáçovas (now part of Viana do Alentejo), Almodôvar, Barrancos, Castro Verde, Odemira, Ourique, Santiago do Cacém and Vila Nova de Sao Bento (now part of Serpa).
History
[edit | edit source]The Garvonesa is a traditional draught breed of the valley of the Rio Mira in south-western Alentejo. It is believed to be intermediate between the Alentejana breed of Alentejo – to which microsatellite studies have shown it to be closely related – and the Algarvia of the Algarve region to the south.[4]: 182
In the twentieth century it became gravely endangered; in 1994 a conservation programme was initiated in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina.[4]: 182 A herd-book was established in the same year;[5]: 47 since 2000 this has been held by the Associação de Agricultores do Campo Branco.[6][7]
In the twenty-first century it is distributed principally in the concelhos of Almodôvar, Barrancos, Castro Verde, Odemira and Ourique, and the former concelho of Vila Nova de Sao Bento (now part of Serpa), all in Beja District; the former concelho of Alcáçovas – now part of Viana do Alentejo – in Evora District; and the concelho of Santiago do Cacém in Setúbal District.[8]: 31
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]The coat is normally dark red or brown in colour. The head and neck are normally very dark. The horns are typically developed, based on head-back and down, then up to frentee.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to 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. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. Archived 23 June 2020.
- ^ Breed data sheet: Garvonesa / Portugal (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2025.
- ^ Marleen Felius (2025). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Leiden: Brill. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- ^ a b Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- ^ Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2020). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties (sixth edition). Wallingford; Boston: CABI. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- ^ Bovinos – Raça Garvonesa (in Portuguese). Vale de Santarém: Sociedade Portuguesa de Recursos Genéticos Animais. Archived 17 December 2025.
- ^ Raça Garvonesa (in Portuguese). Castro Verde: Associação de Agricultores do Campo Branco. Archived 17 December 2025.
- ^ [s.n.] (2021). Catálogo Oficial de Raças Autóctones Portuguesas (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal; Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária. Archived 19 January 2024.
