Bergamasca (I)
Description
The characteristic feature of Bergamasca is its pronounced Roman head and Roman nose. The animals are large-framed and heavy. Lop ears are very long. Both rams and ewes are polled. The animals are unicoloured white, their wool has a medium fineness of 40 to 48 micron. Since 1976 a herdbook for the breed is kept in Italy.
General and History
The origin of this breed is not entirely clear, some tracks lead, however, into the sudan. The large-framed Bergamasca developed in Belluno Province and other mountain regions into a very important breed. It was crossbred into other breeds. New breeds developed trough these processes like Varesina, Paduan, Lamon. Carinthian or Brown Mountain. The bred Bergamasca has significantty influenced the development of many different mountain sheep breeds in the entire Alpine region. All long-eared mountain sheep breeds have, for example, their origin in the Bergamasca breed.
Distribution in the past and today
Belluno Province
Utilization
Main utilisation is fattening of lambs followed by milk production, with a milk yield of 160 to 180kg
Keeping
Bergamasca are very well adapted to high-mountain climatic conditions. Animals are housed for 2 to 6 months (sometimes/not always).
Performance
Milk yield of 160 to 180kg
Withers height: 90 cm (m), 80 cm (w)
Body weight: 105 kg (m), 82 kg (w)
Lambing percentage: 87%
Literature
Schafrassen in den Alpen, Antje Feldmann, Ursula Bietzker, Dr. Christian Mendel, Alpinetgheep, Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen e.V. - GEH, Sept. 2005
