| Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk [1] |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bellunese [2] : 177 |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Distribution |
|
| Standard | MIPAAF |
| Use | Triple-purpose, principally for meat |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Skin color | Pink |
| Wool color | White |
| Face color | White with brown or black mottling |
| Horn status | Both sexes are polled (hornless) |
| |
The Alpagota is a breed of sheep from the province of Belluno in the Veneto, in north-eastern Italy. [3] It is particularly associated with the historic region of the Alpago, from which it takes its name, and is raised principally in that area. [4]
The origins of the Alpagota are unknown. [5] It is raised principally in the historic region of the Alpago, which coincides with the area of the modern comuni of Chies d'Alpago, Farra d'Alpago, Pieve d'Alpago, Puos d'Alpago and Tambre in the south-east of the province of Belluno; [4] some are raised in the neighbouring provinces of Padova, Pordenone and Treviso. The Alpagota probably shares a common origin with the Lamon breed from the Feltrino, the area around Feltre, some 50 km west of the Alpago. [2] It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders. [4]
Of the twelve local sheep breeds present in the Veneto fifty years ago, only four survive. [6] The Alpagota was identified by the European Community as a local breed at risk in the early 1990s, [7] and in 1998 received PAT status under the name "Pecora Alpagota". [8]
In 1960 there were over ten thousand of these sheep; by the year 2000 this had dwindled to about 1600. [9] . By 2010 there were over 2400, [6] and in 2013 the total numbers for the breed were reported as 3363. [10]
The Alpagota is a small to medium-sized breed with a white face with black markings, no horns and relatively small ears. [9]
In the past the Alpagota was a triple-purpose breed, reared for meat, milk and wool; it is now kept mainly for meat production. A twentieth century problem farmers faced was the poor conformation of the carcasses and the short time (about one month around Easter) for which a good price was obtainable. In 2002, farmers in the area formed a co-operative and registered a trademark, creating a logo, "Agnello d'Alpago". To take part, the sheep had to be reared in the five municipalities of Alpago and conform to various methods of production criteria. The lambs were to be slaughtered at sixty to eighty days with a live weight of 22 to 35 kilograms (50 to 80 lb). The Slow Food organisation supported the project and helped promote the breed, marketing the meat and providing information to consumers. The campaign has been a success, with sales spread throughout much of the year, greater awareness of the product and better prices for farmers. [9]
The Corteno or Pecora di Corteno is a breed of sheep from the Val Camonica, in the province of Brescia in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is raised in the comune of Corteno Golgi, from which it takes its name, and in the neighbouring comuni of Edolo, Malonno and Paisco Loveno, all lying within the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Bagnolese is a breed of sheep from the area surrounding Bagnoli Irpino in the province of Avellino, in Campania in southern Italy. It takes its name from that of the town. It is raised principally in Irpinia, in the Monti Picentini, in the Monti Alburni, in the Piana del Sele and in the Vallo di Diano. It probably derives from the Barbaresca breed, and may also have been influenced by the Comisana. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Brentegana is an Italian breed of sheep from the provinces of Trento and Verona in northern Italy. The name derives from that of the comune of Brentonico, the area where the breed is thought to have originated. Two distinct types are known: the Brentegana Scelta or Brentegana Trentina, a large heavy meat/wool type; and the Brentegana Comune, a medium-sized type more suitable for milk production. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Brianzola is a breed of sheep from Lombardy in northern Italy. It originates in the historical region of the Brianza, from which it takes its name, and which coincides with the modern provinces of Como, Lecco and Monza and Brianza. It is raised principally in the comuni of Brianza, Civate, Galbiate, Proserpio, Suello and Valmadrera. It is a heavy meat breed; the wool is not used. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Brogna or Brogne is a breed of domestic sheep from the province of Verona, in the Veneto in north-eastern Italy. It is well adapted to the local upland environment. The name of the breed may derive from that of the suppressed comune of Breonio, now part of Fumane.
The Ciavenasca is a breed of small domestic sheep from the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is raised in the mountainous terrain of the Val San Giacomo, the Val Bregaglia and the Valchiavenna, from which the name of the breed derives. It is raised only for meat; the wool is of very poor quality, and the milk is sufficient only for the lambs. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Finarda is a breed of large domestic sheep from the regions of Lombardy and Piemonte in northern Italy. It is heavy breed raised mainly for meat, although it also yields 4–6 kg of wool per year. It results from cross-breeding the Bergamasca and Biellese breeds. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders. However, in 2008 the herdbook was empty, and may in fact never have been activated. Most data for the breed dates from 1983.
The Frabosana is a breed of sheep from the valleys of the Monregalese, the area around Mondovì in the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte in north-west Italy. It takes its name from the comuni of Frabosa Soprana and Frabosa Sottana, and was once the most numerous sheep breed of Piemonte. It is raised in the Valle Gesso, the Valle Grana, the Valle Pesio, the Valle Vermenagna and the Valli Monregalesi, and in the Val Pellice. Two types are recognised within the breed, the Roaschino in the Ligurian Alps, and the slightly smaller Frabosana raised in the area of Mondovì. The Frabosana is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Garessina or Muma is a breed of small sheep from the Garessina, the area surrounding Garessio in the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte in north-west Italy. It is raised principally in the valleys of the Tanaro, its affluent the Negrone, and the Casotto; it is not raised commercially, but kept as a family sheep. It has been influenced by Spanish Merino and French Alpine breeds. The wool is of fine quality. The Garessina is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Istriana or Carsolina, Croatian: 'Istarska Ovca', Slovene: 'Istrska Pramenka', is a breed of domestic sheep from Istria and the Karst regions of the northern Adriatic, from north-east Italy to Croatia and Slovenia.
The Lamon or Lamonese is a breed of sheep from the comuni of Lamon and Sovramonte in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto in north-east Italy. The area is known as the Feltrino, from the town of Feltre, and the breed may also be referred to as the Feltrina. It was formerly widely distributed in the Veneto and the Trentino, and as far as the province of Mantova in Lombardy. In the 1950s there was an attempt to increase the size by cross-breeding with the Bergamasca; there was also some cross-breeding with the Padovana and the now extinct Trentina. The Lamon is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Nostrana is a breed of sheep from the area of the Passo della Cisa, the Apennine pass which connects the comune of Pontremoli in the province of Massa Carrara, Tuscany, with that of Berceto in the province of Parma, in Emilia–Romagna. The Nostrana appears to be closely related to the Garfagnina Bianca, and probably also to the Cornigliese and Zerasca breeds. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Pomarancina is a breed of domestic sheep from Tuscany in central Italy. It is raised mainly in the comune of Pomarance, from which it takes its name, and in the neighbouring comuni of Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, Montecatini Val di Cecina and Volterra, all in the province of Pisa; some are kept in other parts of Tuscany, in the provinces of Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca and Siena. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Pusterese is a breed of domestic sheep from the autonomous province of Bolzano in northern Italy. It may also be called the Pustera gigante, Nobile di Badia or Gadertaler. It is raised mainly in the Val Pusteria (Pustertal), from which it takes its name, and in the Val Gardena; it has been reported also from the province of Belluno. The origins of the breed are unclear; it probably originates from the Tirol, but has also been influenced by the Lamon. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Saltasassi is an Italian breed of upland sheep, reared for meat. It originates in the provinces of Verbano Cusio Ossola and Novara in the northern part of Piemonte, in north-west Italy. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Sambucana or Demontina is a breed of upland sheep from the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte, north-west Italy. It takes its name from the comune of Sambuco in the Valle Stura di Demonte, the area where it is thought to have originated; the other name of the breed, Demontina, derives from the name of that valley. The Sambucana is also raised in the adjoining valleys, the Valle Gesso, the Valle Grana and the Valle Maira. It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Sciara or Moscia Calabrese is an indigenous breed of domestic sheep from the provinces of Catanzaro and Cosenza, in Calabria in southern Italy. It is a hardy and frugal breed, well adapted to the poor and stony upland terrain of the area. Sources from the early 20th century describe it as dark-coloured; according to the breed standard, it should be white.
The Altamurana is an Italian breed of sheep from the province of Bari, in Puglia in southern Italy. It is of Asiatic, possibly Syrian, origin. It is raised mainly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia, and takes its name from the town of Altamura, in the Murge. It was formerly considered a triple-purpose breed, yielding meat, milk, and wool; it is now kept principally for milk production. It yields approximately 65 kg of milk per lactation, with an average of 7.5% fat and 6.5% protein.
The Delle Langhe, also called Pecora delle Langhe or Langarola, is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to Piedmont, in north-western Italy. It is a rough-woolled breed of southern Mediterranean type, and originates from the mountainous area of the Alta Langa, where the Apennines meet the Alps, in the province of Cuneo. It is raised mainly in the Langhe, but is found in several other regions of Italy including Abruzzo, Basilicata, Emilia–Romagna, Liguria and Tuscany.
The Ciuta is or was a breed of small mountain sheep from the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy in northern Italy. There has been no census of the breed since 1983, and it may be extinct; a small number were identified in 2001. It originates in the mountainous terrain of the Val Masino and the Valchiavenna, in an area where Lombard is spoken; ciuta means "little sheep" in the local language. It probably has common origins with the Ciavenasca breed from the same area. It is raised only for meat; the wool is of very poor quality, and the milk is sufficient only for the lambs. The breed is not recognised by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture and forestry, and is not among the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.