Frisa Valtellinese

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Frisa Valtellinese
Frisa.JPG
Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered [1]
Other names
  • Frontalasca
  • Rezzalasca
  • Frisa
  • Frisa Nera
Country of originItaly
Distribution Province of Sondrio, Lombardy
Standard MIPAAF
Usemilk, also meat [2]
Traits
Weight
  • Female:
    65–70 kg [2]
Height
  • Female:
    79–82 cm [2]
Wool colorblack or dark, with Swiss markings
Face colordark with white eye-stripes
Horn statususually horned [3]
Tasselssometimes present [3]
  • Goat
  • Capra aegagrus hircus

The Frisa Valtellinese is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is raised throughout the Valtellina, from which its principal name derives, in the Val Malenco and the upper Val Masino in the Rhaetian Alps, and in the Valchiavenna. It may also be called the Frontalasca, for the village of Frontale, a frazione of the comune of Sondalo in the Val di Rezzalo, or the Rezzalasca for that valley. The name Frisa comes from its frisature, or Swiss markings. [2]

Contents

History

The Frisa Valtellinese shares common characteristics and origins with the Swiss Bündner Strahlenziege, or Grisons Striped, breed from the Swiss canton of the Grisons to the north-east, and with similar goats in the canton of Ticino immediately to the north of Sondrio. [2] It also shows phenotypic similarity to the British Alpine breed, but does not share its history. The breed was officially recognised and a herd-book established in 1997. [2]

The Frisa Valtellinese is one of the forty-three autochthonous Italian goat breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep- and goat-breeders. [4] [5] At the end of 2013 the registered population was variously reported as 2810 [6] and as 2432. [7]

Use

The milk yield per lactation of the Frisa Valtellinese is 271 ± 115 litres for primiparous, 343 ± 183 l for secondiparous, and 369 ± 180 l for pluriparous, nannies. [8] The milk averages 3.23% fat and 3.04% protein. [2] The viulìn de càvra de Ciavéna, a goat's meat prosciutto , is made with the meat.

The breed shows promise for vegetation management for the purpose of fire prevention. [2]

Related Research Articles

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Orobica Breed of goat

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The Cilentana Grigia is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Salerno, in Campania in southern Italy. It takes its name from the geographical region of the Cilento, much of which is today within the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, and is raised mainly in that area, but also in the Monti Alburni and the Monti Picentini. It is one of three indigenous goat breeds in the Cilento, the others being the Cilentana Fulva and the Cilentana Nera. The Cilentana Grigia is found on lower ground and richer pasture than the Cilentana Nera, and is raised mainly for milk. The origins of the breed are obscure; it shows the influence of the Maltese and Garganica breeds, and similarities to other Italian grey breeds such as the Ciociara Grigia of Lazio and the Argentata dell'Etna from Sicily.

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The Nicastrese is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from Calabria, in southern Italy. It originates in the province of Catanzaro, and takes its name from the former town of Nicastro, which since 1968 has been part of Lamezia Terme. The Nicastrese is raised mainly in the area of origin, but also in the neighbouring provinces of Cosenza and Reggio Calabria. Photographic evidence suggests that it may be closely connected to the old "Araba" breed of the area.

Nera Verzasca Breed of goat

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Messinese goat Breed of goat

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Chamois Coloured goat Breed of goat

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Alpina Comune Breed of goat

The Alpina Comune is a heterogeneous population of domestic goats widely distributed in the Alps of northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Piemonte. It is highly variable in size, in morphological characteristics such as the type, colour and pattern of its coat and the shape and carriage of its ears, and in type of use. It does not display any of the uniformity characteristic of a breed, other than a consistent hardiness and adaptation to mountain terrain. It is however officially recognised and protected as one. The name Alpina Comune, "common", is more used in Piemonte; in Lombardy it may be called Alpina Locale, "local", or simply Nostrana, "ours".

The Bormina is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the Valtellina, in the northern part of the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is particularly associated with the area of the comune of Bormio, from which its name derives. Because of the reddish colour of its coat and its clear Swiss markings, it may also be call the Frisa Rossa. It is raised mainly in the Valtellina but is also reported from the Lario and from the area of Varese. It does not have official recognition in Italy, and breed numbers are very low. Management is extensive: the animals are kept on high alpine pasture in the summer months, and brought under cover in winter.

References

  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   9789251057629. Accessed June 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN   9788850652594. p. 356–57.
  3. 1 2 Norme tecniche della popolazione caprina "Frisa Valtellinese o Frontalasca": standard della razza (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia. Accessed June 2014.
  4. Strutture Zootecniche (Dec. 2009/712/CE - Allegato 2 - Capitolo 2) (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali. Section I (e). Archived 4 May 2014.
  5. Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. p. 99. Accessed June 2014.
  6. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 46 Frisa Valtellinese Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed June 2014.
  7. Breed data sheet: Frisa valtellinese/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
  8. Lorenzo Noè, Alessandro Gaviraghi, Andrea D'Angelo, Adriana Bonanno, Adriana Di Trana, Lucia Sepe, Salvatore Claps, Giovanni Annicchiarico, Nicola Bacciu (2005). Le razze caprine d'Italia (in Italian); in: Giuseppe Pulina (2005). L' alimentazione della capra da latte. Bologna: Avenue Media. ISBN   9788886817493. p. 381–435. Archived 5 October 2014.