Basco-Béarnaise
A dairy sheep breed from the Basque country.
The Basco-Béarnaise, or Vasca Carranzana, is a domestic sheep breed from the Basque country. It was created in the 1960s by crossing Basque and Béarnaise sheep, with the goal of producing a dedicated dairy breed. Its ancestry traces back to a group of Pyrénéan sheep breeds known for their long, hanging wool, and it originated in the Béarnaise region of the Pyrénées. For a long time, these sheep have been moved between the Girondine plain and the mountain pastures of the Pyrénées.
In appearance, the breed has long, white, hanging wool. Its horns curl in a spiral around the ear. The head and hooves are a reddish-yellow color. Rams always have horns, while ewes may have horns or be polled (hornless). Both sexes are white and solid-colored. Mature rams average 80 kg (180 lb) in weight and 90 cm (35 in) at the withers; ewes average 55 kg (121 lb) and 75 cm (30 in).
As a dairy breed, the Basco-Béarnaise is one of the ewes used to produce the AOC Ossau-Iraty cheese. A ewe yields about 120 liters of milk over a 130-day lactation period, with a high fat content (7.42%) and protein content (5.39%). This is a rustic breed that lambs in spring and produces milk through the summer, passing the richness of Pyrénéan flora into its milk.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Basque country
- Use
- milk
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Basco-Béarnaise was developed during the 1960s from Basque and Béarnaise sheep, created as a single-purpose milk breed. It has long been flocked across the Girondine plain to the Pyrénéan mountain pastures. Its wool is long, white and hanging, and its horns form a spiral around the ear. The head and hooves are coloured reddish-yellow. Rams are horned, while ewes may be either horned or polled; both sexes are white and unicolored.
Reader's Guide
The Basco-Béarnaise is significant as a dairy breed that issued from the AOC Ossau-Iraty, derived from the ewes of the Pyrénées. A ewe produces 120 litres over 130 days of lactation, yielding milk rich in matière grasse (7.42%) and proteins (5.39%). It is a rural breed that lambs in spring and produces milk in the summer, passing on the richness of the Pyrénéan flora through its milk. Its development as a single-purpose milk breed reflects a focused agricultural strategy in the Basque region, contributing to the production of the renowned Ossau-Iraty cheese. The breed's morphology, including its long hanging wool and spiral horns, distinguishes it within the Pyrénéan sheep family.
Did You Know?
- The Basco-Béarnaise was developed during the 1960s as a single-purpose milk breed.
- A ewe produces 120 litres of milk over 130 days of lactation.
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