Frieiresa
The rusticity, ease of handling and great tameness of Frieiresa cow (Bos taurus L.) is make it optimal for the extensive regime, since it also takes advantage of material resources that other more select breeds would discard. In the past, these characteristics made it a highly appreciated breed for agricultural work.
The animals are a washed chestnut colour, darker in males and lighter in the young, darkening in the neck, face, jowls, forearm, and ventral region. The muzzle is surrounded by a white halo, it has got visible mucous membranes and black pigmented eyelid edges.
Another characteristic to highlight in the breed is the long hair in the frontal region. This stroke gives rise to a dominant golden blonde fringe, appearing, therefore, in all intersections and a very abundant hair on the tassel of the tail. Its rusticity and great adaptation to the environment, with a high degree of transformation of coarse foods, make it optimal for steep terrain and with few herbaceous resources. The farming system is of a mixed type, using communal pastures on neighbouring common land during the months of June to November, or grazing during part of the day and stabling at night.
Frieiresa cow takes its name from the Frieiras region, within the municipalities of A Gudiña and A Mezquita, in the southeast of the province of Ourense, Spin. Its geographical area of origin, which for different reasons had little possibility of expansion over time, reaches the municipalities of Riós, A Gudiña, Vilardevós and reaches the Massif Central. Likewise, the presence of animals of the breed is confirmed in villages adjacent to said Galician province, located in the province of Zamora, in Castilla y León.
This area had a high density of bovine breeds: to the south is the Mirandesa breed, to the north Vianesa, to the east the Alistano-Sanabresa and, to the west, the Limiá and formerly the Verinesa.
Currently, its main productive use is meat. Thanks to their good mammary system and the correct implantation of their teats, the offspring can reach up to 160 kg/carcass at weaning, bringing meat yields closer to around 48-49%, is good results in this type of native breeds in danger of extinction.
Its meat is lean and with low levels of fat. With proper maturation, its texture is optimal in juiciness and tenderness, in addition to its excellent flavor. Due to its extensive natural breeding method, it has a large proportion of healthy fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6 and CLA).
Due to its great ease of handling, at another time it was widely used for agricultural work but, with the passage of time, in addition to mechanization, the breeders suffered indiscriminately numerous crosses with other breeds and today it is one of the Galician cattle. which has less census, so its recovery is more difficult and slower.
Today its distribution is mainly in the province of Ourense, with some farms in the other Galician provinces.
