Sambucana (I)
Description
Sambucana is a medium-sized sheep. Rams weight on average 90kg. Most animals have yellowish-white wool without markings, 8% of the animals are, however, brown or black. Head, belly and legs are not wooly. Ramss have Roman noses. Rams and ewes are polled, with few exceptions. Their body is long, broad and very muscular. Ears are of medium length and stick out horinzontally. Their legs are thin and relatively long.
General and History
Sambucana is an original breed from the Apennine Mountains, related to the breed Garessina.
Distribution in the past and today
Distribution area is in Cuneo Province in Piedmont, main area Valle Stura and Valle Gesso.
Utilization
Sambucana are primarily used for meat production. In the 1979ies, approx. 50 to 60% of the incomes were generated by wool sale, 35 to 40% by marketing lambs and muttons and 5 to 10% by milk products.
Keeping
Sambucana is excellently suited for grazing steep mountain pastures. During summer, the animals stay at high-altitude pastures, in the winter; they are housed and fed with hay.
Performance
Body weight: 90-95kg (m), 70-75kg (w)
Withers height: 81cm (m), 78cm (w)
Fleece weight: 3.5kg (m), 2.5-3.0kg (w)
Lambing percentage: 150%
Processing and products
The wool quality is relatively good. There is a range of wool products made from Sambucana wool available. A special cheese “La Toumo” is made from Sambucana milk. At present there are trials for the integration of the breed and its product into tourism.
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
Günter Jaritz: Seltene Nutztiere der Alpen, 7000 Jahre geprägte Kulturlandschaft, Verlag Anton Pustet 2014
