{{Short description|Spanish breed of chicken}} {{use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{use list-defined references|date=September 2014}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{infobox poultry breed |name = Euskal Oiloa |image = Euskal oiloa BELTZA barietateko OILARRA.jpg | image_size = | alt = | image_caption = The Beltza variety | status = | altname = {{langx|es|{{noitalic|Gallina Vasca}}}} | country = Spain | distribution = | standard = [http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/euskal_oiloa__orden_15_marzo_2001_tcm7-294008.pdf MAGRAMA] (in Spanish) | use = | nickname = | apa = no{{r|apa}} | aba = | ee = France, Spain{{r|ee}} | pcgb = no{{r|pcgb}} | maleweight = 3.6 kg{{r|guia|p=632}} | femaleweight = 2.5 kg{{r|guia|p=632}} | skincolor = | eggcolor = brown | comb = single | note = yellow legs, red earlobes | type = [[Chicken]] | latin = Gallus gallus domesticus }}
The {{lang|eu|'''Euskal Oiloa'''|italic=no}}, {{langx|es|'''Gallina Vasca'''|italic=no}}, is a [[list of chicken breeds|breed]] of domestic [[chicken]] from the [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community]] of the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] in north-eastern Spain and south-western France. It is the traditional rural chicken of the area, a rustic dual-purpose breed of Atlantic type, and differs from Mediterranean Spanish breeds such as the [[Castellana Negra]] and the [[Minorca (chicken)|Minorca]] in several respects: it has yellow legs and feet, red earlobes, and lays brown eggs.{{r|guia|p=632}}
==History==
The Euskal Oiloa is the traditional chicken of the Basque rural economy. It was distributed throughout the historical territories of [[Álava|Araba]], [[Bizkaia]] and [[Gipuzkoa]], and gave both meat and brown eggs. In the twentieth century it was at first not threatened by imported commercial hybrid layer chickens and the spread of [[battery farming|highly intensive chicken farming]] methods, as breeds such as the [[Leghorn (chicken)|Leghorn]] laid white eggs, while Basque consumers preferred brown. Later, when brown-egg commercial hybrids appeared, they began to displace the traditional breed in many households.
Selective breeding of the Euskal Oiloa was begun in 1975 as part of the conservation programme for indigenous chicken breeds of the [[Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria]], the national public agrarian research institute.{{r|inia}} The decision to seek official breed status for these birds was taken at that time.{{r|orozco}} A [[breed association]], the Asociación de Criadores de Razas Aviares Vascas or EOALAK, was founded in 2006.{{r|eoalak}}
The breed standard of the Euskal Oiloa was officially approved on 15 March 2001.{{r|boletin}} It is included in the official list of indigenous Spanish breeds in the [[royal decree]] of 26 December 2008, which established the national livestock breed conservation programme, where it is listed among the indigenous breeds at risk of extinction.{{r|decreto}} At the end of 2013 a population of 10,872 birds was reported, all from the País Vasco.{{r|mapa}}
== Characteristics ==
The Euskal Oiloa is a medium-heavy breed: cocks weigh about {{nobreak|3.6 kg}}, hens about {{nobreak|2.5 kg}}.{{r|guia|p=632}} The [[comb (anatomy)|comb]] is single, with five to seven well-defined points. The comb, face, [[wattle (anatomy)|wattles]] and earlobes are red; the earlobes are narrow and pointed. The beak is curved in the cock, less so in the hen. The legs, feet and skin are yellow.{{r|boletin}}
Five colour varieties are recognized: Beltza (black), Gorria (red), Lepasoila ([[naked-necked]], red-brown), Marraduna (golden cuckoo) and Zilarra (black-tailed white). The Lepasoila, like other naked-necked chickens, has red skin on the neck.{{r|boletin|slow}}
==Use==
Euskal Oiloa hens lay 209–220 brown eggs{{r|slow}} weighing about {{nobreak|60 g}} per year.{{r|boletin}} Much of the meat production is in the form of [[capon]]s; chemical castration is not used. In 2008 the Euskal Oiloa was added to the [[Slow Food]] [[Ark of Taste]].{{r|eoalak|slow}}
<gallery mode=packed heights=160px style="text-align:left"> File:Euskal oiloa GORRIA barietateko OILOA.jpg|The Gorria variety File:Euskal oiloa LEPASOILA barietateko OILARRA.jpg|The Lepasoila variety File:Euskal oiloa MARRADUNA barietateko OILARRA.jpg|The Marraduna variety File:Euskal oiloa ZILARRA barietateko OILARRA.jpg|The Zilarra variety </gallery>
== References == {{reflist|45em|refs=
<ref name=apa>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171104135004/http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/PDF%20Forms/APA%20Recognized%20Breeds%20and%20Varieties%20Sept2012.pdf APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012]. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.</ref>
<ref name=boletin>[http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/euskal_oiloa__orden_15_marzo_2001_tcm7-294008.pdf ORDEN de 15 de marzo de 2001, del Consejero de Agricultura y Pesca, por la que se aprueba la reglamentación específica de la raza aviar 'Euskal Oiloa'] (in Spanish). ''Boletín Oficial del País Vasco'' '''54''' (16 March 2001): 5233–39.</ref>
<ref name=decreto>[http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2009/01/27/pdfs/BOE-A-2009-1312.pdf Real Decreto 2129/2008, de 26 de diciembre, por el que se establece el Programa nacional de conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas ganaderas] (in Spanish). ''Boletín Oficial del Estado'' '''23''' (27 January 2009): I: 9211.</ref>
<ref name=ee>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130616062803/http://www.entente-ee.com/deutsch/sparten/gefluegel/dateien/2013/Verzeichnis%20R%20F%2028042013.xls Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013)]. Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.</ref>
<ref name=eoalak>[http://www.eoalak.com/es/content/estándar-euskal-oiloa Estándar Euskal Oiloa] (in Spanish). Asociación de Criadores de Razas Aviares Vascas = Euskal Oilo eta Antzarren Hazitzaileen Elkartea. Accessed September 2014.</ref>
<ref name=guia>Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). ''Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas'' (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. {{isbn|9788449109461}}.</ref>
<ref name=mapa>[http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/aviar/euskal-oiloa/iframe-ejemplo-arca.aspx Raza aviar EUSKAL OILOA: Datos Censales] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Accessed September 2014.</ref>
<ref name=inia>José Luis Campo Chavarri (2010). [http://www.inia.es/gcontrec/pub/CATALOGO_INIA_Gallinas_1290596384804.pdf ''Razas españolas de gallinas. El programa de conservación del INIA (1975–2010)''] (in Spanish). Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria. {{doi|10.1017/S2078633612000215}}</ref>
<ref name=orozco>Fernando Orozco, José Luis Campo (January 1981). [http://ddd.uab.cat/pub/selavi/selavi_a1981m1v23n1/selavi_a1981m1v23n1p4.pdf Desarrollo del programa de conservación de razas españolas de gallinas] (in Spanish). ''Selecciones avícolas'' '''23''' (1): 3–7.</ref>
<ref name=pcgb>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143235/http://www.poultryclub.org/img/Breed%20Classification.pdf Breed Classification]. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.</ref>
<ref name=slow>[http://www.slowfoodfoundation.com/ark/details/773/basque-chicken-euskal-oiloa#.VAteqyinBIA Ark of Taste: Basque Chicken Euskal Oiloa]. Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Accessed September 2014.</ref>
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{{Chicken breeds of Spain}} {{Basque animal breeds}}
[[Category:Chicken breeds]] [[Category:Chicken breeds originating in Spain]] [[Category:Basque domestic animal breeds]]