The Curious Compendium 2023 Tour Finale: Shih-tzu, maltese, pekingese!

Thanks!

Spanish fighting bulls (cattle)!
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These animals have been bred in the Iberian peninsula for centuries for the sole purpose of bull fighting. They are handled by humans as little as possible in an effort to keep them as wild as possible. Many believe them to be direct descendants of the auroch (also called urus) that were worshipped by ancient cultures. Bull fighting has been an activity practiced by man for thousands of years. One of the earliest and most famous depictions of this is the Minoan fresco from Knossos, Crete "toreador fresco". A beautiful art piece, it shows 3 men engaged in a battle with an enormous bull.

Beautiful bulls! A shame bull fighting is so prominent still.

very nice collection Paige

Joliezac wrote:

Beautiful bulls! A shame bull fighting is so prominent still.

Yes, that's true. I console myself by telling me that the rest of their lives is more enviable than that of their domesticated brothers who are turned into beef or meat from an early age.

Wonderful collection

Thank you all. The Spanish fighting tradition is indeed very frustrating, but these animals are still gorgeous and wonderful.

Avian page is finally live! After lots of work fixing kinks with the page...

The Curious Compendium Home Page

TCC Avian Page

Lovely birds! They look great

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

Thank you all. The Spanish fighting tradition is indeed very frustrating, but these animals are still gorgeous and wonderful.

Avian page is finally live! After lots of work fixing kinks with the page...

The Curious Compendium Home Page

TCC Avian Page

Paige
Magnificent work, sumptuous, informative and beautiful photos

Thank you both. That means a lot. This website design stuff is easier said than done!

Boer, Angora, and dwarf goats!
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Boer goats are so named for the dutch word for "farmer". These are the heaviest goats out there with does ranging from 190-230 lbs and bucks 200-340 lbs! They are known for their hardiness in hot climates (hailing from Africa), docile temperament, hardy against parasites, and high fertility rates. They also are useful for sustainable farming practices, and due to their foraging behavior they reduce invasive plants and increase natural biodiversity in pasture and rangeland.

Such a nice collection of goats! I was already wandering how well the Schleich billy fits the Papo nanny and kid and they look quite nice together.
Your website looks great by the way!

Fantastic! The good old Schleich Boer Goats still look amazing!
I also love Papo Angoras

Great collection Paige, enough goats to make good cheese But... What No Papo Boer goat among them ?

Thank you everyone!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], it would be a DREAM to get the Papo! Unfortunately I missed that one...

Charolais cattle!
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These are one of the oldest breeds known; the first record of them is from 878 A.D.! They hail from the Charolles and Nievre provinces in France and were originally used more in an oxen/draft type role. These animals are classicly known for their white/cream color, but recently have been developed to have red and black varieties also. While the breed itself is usually considered a beef animal, they are crossed both to other beef breeds as well as dairy breeds. Animals were brought to Mexico in the early 1930s and later were brought to the US market. The breed did take a little time to catch further North in the continent due to an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease, but once this was addressed by Mexico, the US, nd Cananada, the flashy white muscled cattle quickly became popular.

I'm not a big fan of chauvinism, I'm even a bit allergic to it, but I have to admit that seeing some of my country's domestic breeds always makes me happy (even if I don't collect them).
Your white herd is magnificent and I confess I have a soft spot for the Papo.

Beautiful cattle! I don't collect these types of figures but I've always been most attracted to Safari's. I just love their style with cattle.

Wonderful to see so many domestic animals and to read your story about your grandfather's cattle. Happy to see that you have got Britains Charolais too!

Thank you friends. I am glad that everyone can enjoy them, even if they necessarily for everyone's collections.

Texas Longhorns!
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Texas Longhorns are a breed that originated from the mixing of Spanish and English cattle. The breed was slowly developed in the 1800s once English cattle reached Texad, then mixing with the already present Spanish cattle. Because of the ranch culture at the time, these animals were allowed to graze on the open range; when rounded up again, sometimes individuals were missed and left out in the wild and became feral. These "maverick" cattle (feral and unbranded) are what began the American cowboy culture while settlers coming home from the Civil War could make a living by funding these animals, branding them, and starting their own ranches.

Longhorns horns can reach longer than 10 feet wide! The longer the horn the lest of an upward twist will be present. These hardy cattle are able to withstand harsh conditions and are known for being a great breed for areas like Texas.