The Sopravissana is a breed of domestic sheep from the province of Macerata, in the Marche in central Italy.[1][2] It originates from the area of the comuni of Visso, from which the name derives, Castelsantangelo sul Nera and Ussita, in the Monti Sibillini, and was traditionally raised mostly in that area. Herds under transhumant management ranged into Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria.[2] The Sopravissana derives from the cross-breeding of local Apennine ewes with Merino rams in the second half of the 18th century,[3] and with Rambouillet Merino stock.[1] It is larger than the Vissana breed from the same area.[2]
| Country of origin | Italy |
|---|---|
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Wool color | white |
| Face color | white |
| Notes | |
| Milk[1] | |
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It is one of the seventeen autochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.[3] The breed numbered about 1,200,000 in 1960, and 765,000 in 1970; by 1995 the number had fallen to about 6000.[2] In 2013 total numbers recorded for the breed were 5699.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Breed data sheet: Sopravissana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ a b c d Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 284–285.
- ^ 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. 25. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 29 SOPRAVISSANA Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale dell Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.
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