Massese sheep

The Massese is an Italian breed of domestic sheep from the Alpi Apuane mountains of the province of Massa Carrara, in Tuscany in central Italy.^[1] It takes its name from the town of Massa. It is raised throughout most of Tuscany, and also in Emilia–Romagna, Liguria and Umbria. It has common origins with the other indigenous sheep breeds of the Apennines.^[1]

Massese

Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	Tuscany Emilia–Romagna Liguria Umbria
Use	principally milk, also meat
Traits
Weight	Male: 90 kg Female: 65 kg
Height	Male: 85 cm Female: 77 cm
Wool colour	lead-grey to black
Face colour	black
Notes
horned in both sexes
Sheep Ovis aries

History

The Massese has common origins with the other indigenous sheep breeds of the Apennines.^[1] It is one of the seventeen autochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herd-book is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.^[2] The herd-book was established in 1971.^[3] In 1986 total numbers for the breed were recorded as 182690, of which 66% were in Tuscany and 27% in Emilia–Romagna. In 2006 the population was estimated at 55000, of which 16477 were registered in the herd-book;^[1] in 2013 the number recorded in the herd-book was 8423.^[4]

Use

The Massese remains in oestrus throughout the year, and normally lambs three times every two years; this, coupled with a twinning rate of 135%, allows production of two lambs per year. The lambs are slaughtered at a weight of 10–15 kg.^[1]

The milk yield is about 120 ± 32 litres per lactation for primiparous, and 138 ± 45 litres for pluriparous, ewes; it may reach 300–350 litres per lactation. The milk has on average 6.2% fat and 5.3% protein.^[2]

References

1. Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 242–243.
2. 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. 13. Accessed January 2014.
3. Breed data sheet: Massese/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed January 2014.
4. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 22 Massese Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed January 2014.