Tacòla (I)
Description
Tacola are large sheep. Rams weigh on average 100kg. The animals’ body is long and muscular, with voluminous abdominal cavity. Wool, head and extremities are purely white. The wool hangs down and is half-closed. Lop-ears are short; some animal only have ear stumps or no outer ear at all. Both sexes are polled.
General and History
The breed Tacola belongs to the Alpine sheep. It is related to Sudanese sheep breeds and to the Italian Biellese.
Distribution in the past and today
The breed is found throughout Piedmont, mainly, however, in Vercelli and Biella Provinces.
Utilization
Tacola are primarily kept for mutton production.
Breeding aims
The breed is very well adapted to mountain conditions. This feature has to be conserved. Improvement of mutton production and frugality is focused on at present. A breeders association has been active for the conservation of the breed since the beginning of the 1990ies and tries to conserve the genetic variability within the population.
Performance
Body weight: 100kg (m), 82kg (w)
Withers height: 86cm (m), 81cm (w)
Literature
Schafrassen der Alpen, Antje Feldmann, Ursula Bietzker, Dr. Christian Mendel, Herausgeber: Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen e.V. - GEH, Deutschland, Sept. 2005
