The Frabosana is a breed of sheep from the valleys of the Monregalese, the area around Mondovì in the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte in north-west Italy.[3] It takes its name from the comuni of Frabosa Soprana and Frabosa Sottana, and was once the most numerous sheep breed of Piemonte.[4][5] It is raised in the Valle Gesso, the Valle Grana, the Valle Pesio, the Valle Vermenagna and the Valli Monregalesi (all in the province of Cuneo), and in the Val Pellice (in the province of Turin).[6] Two types are recognised within the breed, the Roaschino in the Ligurian Alps, and the slightly smaller Frabosana raised in the area of Mondovì. The Frabosana 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.[5]

Frabosana
Conservation statusFAO (2007): not at risk[1]
Other names
  • Roascia
  • Roaschino
Country of originItaly
Distribution
StandardMIPAAF
Usetriple-purpose, principally for milk
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    75–85 kg[2]
  • Female:
    65–80 kg[2]
Height
  • Male:
    80–90 cm[2]
  • Female:
    65–80 cm[2]
Wool colorwhite
Face colorwhite
Horn statususually horned

The conservation status of the breed was listed as "not at risk" by the FAO in 2007.[1] In 2013 total numbers for the breed were 4284.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ a b c d Norme tecniche della popolazione ovina “Frabosana”: standard della razza (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali. Accessed May 2014.
  3. ^ Breed data sheet: Frabosana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
  4. ^ Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 220–21.
  5. ^ a b 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. 56. Accessed September 2013.
  6. ^ 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[permanent dead link] (in Italian). Associazione RARE. Accessed May 2014.
  7. ^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza F0 Frabosana Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.