Livestock in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Introduction
The business of [livestock farming](/wiki/Pastoral_farming "Pastoral farming") is prominent in the [Basque Country](/wiki/Basque_Country_%28autonomous_community%29 "Basque Country (autonomous community)") ([Spain](/wiki/Spain "Spain")). The climate of this region is ideal for raising [cattle](/wiki/Cattle "Cattle") and other [livestock](/wiki/Livestock "Livestock") and is classified as Atlantic, or warm and rainy. The most common [breeds](/wiki/Breed "Breed") of livestock raised in this region include [beef cattle](/wiki/Beef_cattle "Beef cattle"), [dairy cattle](/wiki/Dairy_cattle "Dairy cattle"), [sheep](/wiki/Sheep "Sheep"), [goats](/wiki/Goat "Goat"), and [horses](/wiki/Horse "Horse"). These animals are most often raised in mixed [farms](/wiki/Farm "Farm"), or farms that contain a combination of these types of animals and not just one type exclusively.Ruiz, Roberto, et al. [“The Environmental Role of Traditional Farming Systems in the Basque Country”](http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/livestocksystems/tdv/ruiz.htm), Dept. Agrosystems and Animal Production AZTI\-Granja Modelo de Arkaute. Spain Although the number of livestock farms notably decreased between the years of 1999 and 2009, the number of animals raised on each remaining farm increased dramatically, as discussed in further detail below.[“The size of agricultural operations in the Basque Country increases, for both livestock and crop farming”](http://www.eustat.es/elementos/ele0007000/not0007093_i.html#axzz2iGr6q0w0), AGRICULTURAL CENSUS, 2009, Press release 14\.07\.11 In 2006, there were estimated to be about 19,000 Basque farms that involved the raising of livestock.Amenabar, M.E. et al. [“Organisation of the beef cattle sector in the autonomous community of the Basque country (Spain)”](http://om.ciheam.org/article.php?IDPDF=800292#prettyPhoto), CIHEAM Options Méditerranéennes, Zaragosa, 2006


Which breeds of livestock are commonly raised in the Basque Country?