Brianzola
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.[2][3] It is raised principally in the comuni of Brianza, Civate, Galbiate, Proserpio, Suello and Valmadrera.[4] It is a heavy meat breed; the wool is not used.[3] 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]
| Conservation status | FAO (2007): critical[1] |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Distribution | province of Como |
| Standard | MIPAAF |
| Use | meat |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Height |
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| Wool color | white |
| Face color | white |
| Horn status | hornless in both sexes |
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History
The origins of the breed are unknown, but are probably shared with those of other large lop-eared breeds of the Alps such as the Bergamasca, the Biellese and the Lamon.[5] The much-reported derivation of these breeds from Sudanese sheep is a hypothesis published in 1886 in the Traité de zootechnie of André Sanson, and is based on craniometry; it has no foundation in science. Breed numbers fell drastically in the period after the Second World War, from about 4000 in the war years to 60–80 head in 1983; they have since recovered.[3] The conservation status of the breed was listed as "critical" by the FAO in 2007.[1] A total population of 911 was reported in 2008,[2] and in 2013 the total number reported for the breed was 1464, of which all were in the province of Como.[6]
References
- 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 May 2014.
- Breed data sheet: Brianzola/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 194–95.
- 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. 46–47. Accessed September 2013.
- J. Errante, L.A. Brambilla, M. Corti, E. Pastore, R. Leonarduzzi (2006). Le razze ovine autoctone a rischio del Valle d'Aosta, Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia (in Italian). Associazione RARE. Accessed May 2014.
- Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 06 Brianzola Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.
Further reading
- L. Noè, L.A. Brambilla, M. Corti, G.F. Grepp (1998) "Misurazioni morfometriche della popolazione ovina autoctona Brianzola" (in Italian). Conference paper, XIII Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Patologia e di Allevamento degli Ovini e dei Caprini, Palermo, 16–19 April 1998.
- Massimo Pirovano et al. (1997). La pecora brianzola: notizie storiche e ricerche zootecniche (in Italian). Galbiate (CO): Comunità montana del Lario orientale.