Altamurana

Italian breed of sheep

FAO (2007): critical-maintained^[1]
at risk of extinction^[2]^: 180

Country of originItalyDistribution

Puglia
Basilicata

StandardMIPAAFUseformerly triple-purpose, meat/milk/wool; now principally for milkTraitsWeight

Male:
53 kg^[3]
Female:
39 kg^[3]

Height

Male:
72 cm^[3]
Female:
65 cm^[3]

Skin colourpinkish white, black speckles or spotsWool colourwhiteFace colourwhite

Sheep
Ovis aries

The Altamurana is an Italian breed of sheep from the province of Bari, in Puglia in southern Italy.^[2]^: 180^[4] It is of Asiatic, possibly Syrian, origin. It is raised mainly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia, and takes its name from the town of Altamura, in the Murge.^[2]^: 180 It was formerly considered a triple-purpose breed, yielding meat, milk, and wool; it is now kept principally for milk production. It yields approximately 65 kg of milk per lactation, with an average of 7.5% fat and 6.5% protein.^[2]^: 180

The Altamurana 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.^[5] In 1984, the breed population was estimated at 190000 head.^[2]^: 180 In 2012, the total number recorded for the breed was 230;^[6] it is considered to be at risk of extinction.^[2]^: 180

References

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Caratteri tipici e indirizzi di miglioramento della razza Altamurana (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali. Accessed May 2014.
^ Breed data sheet: Altamurana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2013.
^ 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. 9. Accessed December 2013.
^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 25 ALTAMURANA Anno 2012 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed December 2013.