Murciana, also known as Murcian, Murcien, Murciene, and Royal Murciana, is a goat breed bred in southeast Spain’s Mediterranean coast Murcia region for milk and meat production.
Spain’s main milk-producing goat breed is the Murciano-granadina, a mix of the Murciana and Granadina.
The Spanish government recognizes only Murciana goats. Let us dive into the details.
Origin
The Murciana goat is a Spanish breed of goat famous for transforming food from the arid steppes of the Mediterranean into milk rich in flavor and texture and ideally suited for manufacturing cheese.
Murciana goat is both attractive and hardy. The Murciana has spent decades grazing the hot, dry grasslands of this arid region, which are native to the province of Murcia, which is located in the southeast of Spain.
With the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture’s assistance, local shepherds developed the breed into the ultimate low-maintenance grazing machine through meticulous selection.
Murcianas have exceptional talents for migration and are willing to travel great distances in quest of any kind of food, including wild plants and grasses native to the area and by-products of agricultural production.
An Overview of the Murciana Goat
Appearance
Murciana goats are svelte and have a body type between small and medium. They have short ears and short, straight tails.
They have a nice coat ranging in color from mahogany to dark brown, and their udders are huge and well implanted. People make use of these goats as dairy.
Purpose of Use
In addition to having a hardy and adaptable temperament, the Murciana goat is a high-quality dairy producer. It is famous for producing milk with a delicate flavor and high in butterfat.
It just takes one milking session per day and the birth of one child per year for a Murcian to produce approximately 600 kilos (1,320 pounds) of milk throughout each lactation cycle.
Even though these figures are not as amazing as those of their American relative, the La Mancha (which produces over 1,700 pounds of milk during each lactation), the Murciana is still the finest milk-producing goat in Spain and is one of the most popular breeds in that country.
Murciana’s milk, which has an average fat content of 5.3 percent and a protein content of 3.4 percent, is ideally best for cheesemaking, and people make use of it in the production of a wide variety of distinctive Spanish cheeses, including the well-known Murcia al Vino, often known as “Drunken Goat.”
This mild, creamy cheese soaks in Spanish wine for three days before maturing. The finished product is a delightful snacking cheese that has a rind that is a striking violet color and a delicious finish that is tangy and sweet.
Murciana Goat Migration
In the 1920s, people published display advertisements for the “Royal Murciana” breed in The Goat World’s periodical.
These advertisements served as a precursor to the first importation of the breed into the United States. An authority on goats at the time.
Dr. C. P. Delangle wrote the following in the advertisement for the breed: “The only royalty that is tied to it is in the imagination of its fans, yet let it be of note that the authentic Murciana goat is one of, if not the most attractive goat known.”
(The only royalty associated with it is the one that exists in the minds of those who appreciate it) Mrs. Eula Fay Frey, the woman responsible for developing the famous American La Mancha breed, was impressed by the characteristics of the Murcianas and chose a vibrant red Nubian-Murciana buck named Christopher.
As one of the foundations’ sires for her fledgling breeding operation even though the breed’s popularity in the United States waned in subsequent decades, apparently due to burdensome import regulations.
Despite this, the breed’s popularity in the United States waned in subsequent decades.
