Alpagota (I)
Description
Alpagota sheep are a delicate and small-framed sheep breed (medium-sized, rough/sturdy). The wool is unicoloured white, with dark irregular spots on the head and legs. The longish narrow head with slight Roman nose is sometimes woolly on the forehead, legs are mostly without wool. The breed is characterised by lop ears of medium length, sometime absent.
General and History
Alpagota is an autochthonous sheep breed found in Belluno and Treviso Provinces. The breed is a composite of the three breeds Lamon, Vincentina and Istrian (Istriana).
Distribution in the past and today
Its original area of distribution is around Alpago mountain area, east of Belluno
Utilization
Alpagota show a broad range of performance characteristics; besides meat and wool, milk production plays an important role as well.
Keeping
The breed is very well adapted to mountain and rough high-mountain conditions. Animals are housed for 2 to 6 months per year (in wintertime).
Performance
Body weight: 50-55kg (m), 40-45kg (w)
Withers height: 67cm (m), 57cm (w)
Fleece weight: 3kg (m), 2 – 2,5kg (w)
Lambing percentage: 146%
Processing and products
The wool is used for the production of blankets and carpets. The National Park Bellunesi Dolomites promotes the products of this regional sheep breed.
Literature
Schafrassen in den Alpen, Antje Feldmann, Ursula Bietzker, Dr. Christian Mendel, Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen e.V. - GEH.
