The Tacola is a breed of domestic sheep from the mountains of Piemonte in north-west Italy.[1][2] It is raised in the provinces of Biella, Cuneo and Turin, particularly in the area of Biella and the Valsesia.[2] It apparently derives from the Biellese, from which it is distinguished by its short ears.[3] It 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.[3]

Tacola
Country of originItaly
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    95 kg
  • Female:
    80 kg
Wool colorwhite
Face colorwhite
Notes
meat

In 1983 the population was estimated at 100 head, and in 2000 it was 1,950. In 2013 the total number for the breed was 5,350.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ Breed data sheet: Tacola/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
  2. ^ a b Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 286–287.
  3. ^ 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. 77. Accessed September 2013.
  4. ^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza R5 TACOLA Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.