The Payoya goat is a kind of Spanish goat that is native to the Sierra de Cadiz. It gets its name from the nearby town of Villaluenga del Rosario, which is home to a population of people known as “payoyos.”
The Spanish government has come to a decision that this particular breed is an endangered breed. It is a dairy breed that gained popularity in 1997 when people produced the first payoyo cheese from its milk.
Origin of Payoya Goat
The term Payoya originates from the town of Villaluenga del Rosario, which people can locate in the province of Cadiz.
People consider the town to be the cradle of the breed and an important cattle center. Although the locals in this town call this kind of breed “Payoyos.” people commonly refer to the breed as “Montejaquea” in the Sierra de Ronda region.
This population is unique to Serrana de Grazalema. Locals consider it to be the result of an ancient crossbreeding between a Pyrenean trunk and the indigenous goat population of the area.
However, this population has been around for a very long time.
The Payoya goat breed of indigenous goat is in the Official Catalogue of Spanish Livestock Breeds as a member of the Group of Indigenous Goat Breeds in Danger of Extinction.
A Quick Overview of the Payoya Goat
Appearance
They are very tall and long animals, which reflects the selection conducted by breeders in quest of an animal format that would allow them to use grazing land in sections of the mountains that are difficult to access.
This selection led to the creation of very tall and long animals. The Breed’s Racial Pattern describes these animals as having a sub convex, hypermetric profile and long-limbed proportions.
You can find these characteristics in animals. There was relatively slight morphological and structural variation, which may have resulted from the selection for dairy ability.
They display a striking degree of sexual dimorphism. The females of the species weigh between 50 and 60 kilograms, while males can weigh anywhere from 70 to 90 kilograms.
You can identify the breed by the wide range of coat types that you find within it, including single coats, compound coats with continuous patterns (such as snowy and brown), compound coats with discontinuous patterns (such as berrendas, oritas, sesnegras, collalbas, and berries), and compound coats with continuous patterns (such as snowy and brown) (red, black, blond and white).
Purpose of Use
They are attempting to position themselves as one of the best players in the gourmet industry. This newfound prosperity is due to the laborious efforts of skilled artisans.
In addition, there is the continuous protection of the natural raw materials indigenous to the region. These two pillars are the foundation of the success of these cheeses:
The Payoya goat is the primary breed people use in producing these cheeses. It is a breed that the locals initially developed in the Sierra de Grazalema and the Serrana de Ronda, and it is one of a kind.
This cheese undergoes enzymatic coagulation and is moderately compressed due to pressing. Because most of them are brine-coated, the cheese is often on the saltier side. It is a very renowned cheese; hence it is known as fresh cheese.
Habitation & Environment
The agricultural method used by the Payoya goat breed is semi-extensive and emphasizes the use of grazing resources as the primary source of nutrition.
The goats use natural grazing, stubble, and fields explicitly sown for their consumption, particularly in the spring. This season, the environment provides the most food resources to the livestock.
Family farming is by far the most common form of industrial agriculture. Regarding the size of the farm, the specific number of animals consists of approximately 330 females and 17 males.
Productivity
The production of milk is the primary goal of the Payoya goat farm. Therefore, it is essential to highlight that the average milk production from a single goat during natural lactation is 440 kilograms, at a rate of 2.09 kilograms per day.
.
This occurs on average after 219 days. Some animals have an average milk production per lactation, which is over 550 liters. People use the majority of the milk in the production of cheese.
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for “Goat’s Cheese Sierra de Cádiz y Serrana de Ronda” is now being processed to safeguard and promote a significant livestock, agri-food, social, and economic heritage in the region. Therefore, people can locate this heritage in Ronda, Spain.
