Asturian-American Migration Forum

xalda: pronounced SHAHL-dah. Also known as oveya xalda, pronounced Oh-VEY-yah SHAHL-da. An Asturian indigenous sheep related to breeds of the Ovis aries celticus branch, such as the British Black Welsh.

The xalda is considered an endangered species and is prized for its lean meat. Plural form in Central and East Asturian: les oveyes. Plural in West Asturian and Galician: uveas, uviel.las, ouveil.las, ouveas, oveas.

Xaldas do not have wool in their face or below the knee. The rams are horned (a compressed spiral with ridges) and females are polled (hornless). Genetically, it is related to other Celtic breeds in the Iberian Peninsula that are now extinct (Churra berciana) or near extinction (Bordaleira, northern Portugal).

Xalda sheep are typically small and have either a white, black or dark gray coat. The black and gray specimens often have spots on their foreheads. Words in Asturian to describe their coloring include: cardín / cardino / cardina (salt & pepper), pezu / peza / pezo (spotted), coronista (white spot on forehead), gueifa (white spot on snout), coreyalba (white spot along the neck).

Since the 1990s, breeders of xalda sheep are grouped in an organization called the Asociacion de Criadores d’Oveya Xalda (ACOXA, http://www.xalda.com/asociacion_in.htm). Meat from this rugged species is described by ACOXA as reminiscent of young goat: highly fibrous, tender, with bright strands and a soft feel. Other identifiers include a small head, big eyes, prominent eye sockets and hair all along the firm neck that gives them a mouflon-like appearance. In fact, the mouflon (Ovies aries orientalis) is thought to be the ancestor of domestic sheep.

Usage examples:

La xalda tien concos salientes, güeyos grandes ya sabichegos. [The xalda breed has prominent eye sockets and big, curious eyes.]
Esa oveya xalda tien oreyes pequenes ya empobinaes p' alantre. [That xalda sheep has small, forward-pointing ears.]
D’esa uvea xalda blanca saliu un cordeiru roxu. [That white xalda sheep had a reddish-brown lamb.]
Vou mercar uvea xalda en Tremau pal casoriu miou harmanu. [I’m going up to Tremau to buy a xalda sheep for my brother’s wedding.]

What a beautiful species! Thank you for this information.
I love their lovely faces. The ACOXA website was very interesting to me; I noted brief mention of their wool on the information section. The wool appears very fine in some of the photos; although I wonder if that could be if they truly are crossed from Churros or Jacobs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_sheep. Do you know whether they are used for their fiber or solely for meat?

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Trans. Is

Vaya especie mas guapa! Gracies pola informacion. Encantanme les carines que tienen. Tamien prestome ver la paxina gueb d'ACOXA que foi mui interesante. Decateme de dellos parrafos nos que falaben de la llana. Paez que la llana qu'apaez nes semeyes ye mui finina. Habia qu'entrugar si les oveyes xaldes tan amestaes coles Churres o les llamaes oveyes de Santiago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_sheep. La oveya xalda criase pa carne namai o tamien pa la so llana?

Betty, I sent the people of ACOXA a mail to ask whether the sheep are also raised for their fleece. I know my girlfriend once was very keen on buying xalda wool while we were in Asturias. We found it at small artisan markets and it was indeed very fine, reminded me of Alpaca wool (but what do I know). Anyway, she finally bought a sample of the dark roan wool and then went to local stores to see if they sold it as yarn (no luck).

Btw, I added a link to the Jacob's sheep you mentioned (see your post above). The pictures there are amazing. Apparently it's a breed that was taken to the British Isles by Norse settlers. One of the things I enjoy about Asturias is the archaism of many of the things you find there. It's like a treasure trove of prehistoric cultures due to centuries of geographic isolation. If only they realized what they had...

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Betty, mandara-ys un mail a la xente d'ACOXA pa preguntar que ia lo que fain cona l.lana de la oveya xalda. Mia moza vei tiempu que andaba queriendo mercar la l.lana n'Asturias. Touparamosla nun mercau astur ya si que yera mui fina la fibra, asemeyao a l'alpaca (pero you que sei d'esto). Al final mercou una muestra de color prieto ya despueis tuviera esqueirando pulos negocios de Xixon pa ver si lo vendian tamen en filo, pero non tuvo suerte.

Punxera un enllaz a tou post d'arriba pa la oveya de Jabob's. Las semeyas n'esa paxina son ablucantes. Paez que la oveya de Jacob's ia una especie que trouxenon los vikingos a Gran Bretana. Una cousa que me presta d'Asturias ia l'arcaismo de los vezos conos que te toupas nas aldeas. Ia cumo una cova del tesouro de culturas prehistoricas que sobreviviu, en parte, pol tiempu que la xente pasou arrequeixao xeograficamente.

Thanks for your response. Yes, Jacob Sheep are amazing. I have friends who raise them as well as the Navajo Churro. These are also protected breeds. From the photos the xalda legs remind me of Shetland, but Shetland are much smaller. I am going to explore knowledge of the xalda wool among my fiber friends. For your girlfriend, finding the fleece and finding the yarn is sometimes a great leap. Most of the time we process it ourselves as most mills don't want to be bothered with small quantities of fiber. Although, locally a family is raising Icelandic Sheep and also opened a processing mill for "exotics" and will process small amounts. Being a former llama owner/breeder, you are correct about the beautiful alpaca - llama too. The interesting thing about camelid fiber is that it is hollow at its core. This is one characteristic that makes it so amazingly warm, yet lightweight. I knitted a lace vest from one of my llamas and I can only wear it when I am in a barn or cold weather outside where it keeps me very toasty! Thank You again for bring the xalda to my attention! ( Wish I had this knowledge when I was in Asturias! I would have chased it down!)

Yes, Asturias is an amazing treasure trove. I do wish they realized what they have. Once gone, it is gone forever.

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Trans. Is

Gracies pola retruca. Si, les oveyes tipu Jacob son ablucantes. Yo mesma tengo conocios con estes oveyes y tamien con churres llamaes 'Navajo'. Dambes dos tan protexies anguanu.

Poles semeyes, les oveyes xaldes paecense abondo a les oveyes de Shetland, pero estes ultimes abultenme mas pequenes. Voi ver si saben dalgo sobre les xaldes les companeres coles que faigo ganchillo equi.

Has deci-y a la to moza que dar cola llana ye mas facil que topar el filu nuna tienda. Tamos avezaes a dir a les pequenes fabriques pa mercar filu y mesmo les fabriques nun tienen dengun interes en vender pequenes cantidaes.

Sicasi, hai una familia equi que tien oveyes islandeses y qu'abrieron hai poco un negociu piquinin pa filos consideraos 'esoticos' y vendenlo en gavielles.

Yo hai tiempu que dexara de criar llamas, pero ties razon en que la llana d'alpaca y la llama ye mui curiosu. Lo interesante de la fibra de los camelidos ye que ta vacio nel so interior. Por eso ye tan llixeru y sirve pa tar calentin.

Fixe un xarse cola llana d'una de les mies llames y pol calor que me da, nun lo pongo mas que trabayando na cuadra o de la que fai friu! Gracies otra vegada por cuntanos de la oveya xalda! Muncha pena me da nun sintiera falar d'elles de la que tuve p'Asturies. (Dexuro que nun tris hubiera marchao a da-yos una visitina!)

Si, toi d'alcuerdu de que Asturies ye un arca de tesoros y prestaria que la xente alli se decatara d'ello. Cuando les coses desapaecen, desapaecen dafechu.

Betty, The president of the breeders' association, Anxel Rodriguez, wrote back to answer your query about the xalda sheep (see below for English translation):

Sobre les tos entugues diréte que la llana güei nun se usa pa nada o casi nada. Nun sé si dalguién fai dalgún trabayu con ella como pa en casa... una bufanda o un calcetu sicasí.

A cualaquier criador puedes dirixíte y que te dé llana nos meses de mayu/xunu. Si vienes per Asturies nesos tiempos, yo mesmu puedo date la que quieras.

Pa lo de la carne de xaldu ya ye más difícil. Agora comercialízalo Crivencar o Tierrastur y pusieron una sidrería en Xixón. Nun sé la direición, pero puedes vela n´interné na so páxina web.

Un saludu candial
Anxel Rodríguez
Presidente

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About your questions, I should tell you that the fleece from the xalda sheep is not used at all or just barely. Maybe someone knits for people in the house, a scarf or a pair of socks.

However, you can ask any of the breeders in Asturas [listed on ACOXA website] for fleece during the months of May/June. If you're in Asturias during that time of the year, I myself can supply with as much as you require.

As for where to buy the xalda meat in places like Xixon, that's a bit more difficult. They've started to carry it at places like Crivencar or Tierra Astur, and they've recently opened a Tierra Astur cider tavern in Xixon. I don't know the address, but you can look it up online.

Warm greetings,
Anxel Rodríguez
President of ACOXA

Tierra Astur Poniente (Gijón) is near the water to the west of the recreational harbor.
C/ Mariano Pola 10-12-14, Gijón
Playa de Poniente
www.Tierra-Astur.com
Phone: 985.327.448

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Tierra Astur Poniente (Xixón) está cerca del mar al oeste del puerto recreativo.
C/ Mariano Pola 10-12-14, Gijón
Playa de Poniente
www.Tierra-Astur.com
Teléfono: 985.327.448

Hi, I hope you don't mind me resurrecting a very old thread. I have an interest in primitive breeds of sheep particularly in this part of the world. Are you able to tell me if historically there was a use fo the wool of the xalda?

Have there been any further attempts to revive it as a wool breed?

I was interested in the comment that its fibre is a little like alpaca wool. Has there been any studies done on the properties of the fleece? micron counts etc?

thank you

hi Kanisha,

Before the introduction of sheep varieties from elsewhere, the xalda sheep were probably the ones best adapted to the climate of Asturias, as well as to the mountainous terrain. So it would make sense that their wool was used.

For details about the properties of the fleece, go to the ACOXA website and either mail or call Anxel (pronounced AHN-shell). There is also a telephone listed on the website if you can speak some Spanish?

http://www.xalda.com/asociacion.htm

Paul

Hi Paul

thank you for your reply, I'm afraid I don't speak spanish which has hampered my previous requests to the breed society for information on other topics on the breed. I live in France and my french is reasonable but don't seem to be able to find a common language.

Kanisha, Sorry you can't communicate with someone in French at ACOXA. There must be someone who can, if you dig a little.

Here is a new article in the Asturian daily El Comercio from 29 Sept 2014 on the oveya xalda and it's breeding problems:

http://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/20140 ... 016-v.html

Hi, thank you for your post, I will persevere. Thank you also for the link to the article most interesting. The same problems have afflicted the breed of sheep that I raise, it has been possible to expand valorisation of the breed into areas such as conservation grazing and also valorisation of the wool, once discarded by many despite the breeds historical value for its wool ( 18th & 19th century, pre-industrialisation). The Xalda is thought to be a close relative and the reference to a fleece that is similar to alpaca wool strikes a chord. I would dearly love to be able to exchange information with breeders of the Xalda, we may be able to help each other.