Bovec sheep
| Other names |
|
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Distribution | |
| Use | Meat, milk |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
|
| Wool color | Off-white, brown or black |
| Face color | White, sometimes spotted |
| |
The Bovec (Slovene: bovška ovca, Italian: Plezzana, German: Krainer Steinschaf) is a breed of domestic sheep from the upper valley of the Soča or Isonzo river, now in Slovenia.[1][2][3] The breed is named in both Slovenian and in Italian for the town of Bovec or Plezzo; in the Trenta valley it may also be called Trentarka. It is raised in the Soča valley in Slovenia, in the areas of Resia and Tarvisio in Friuli in Italy,[1] and in Styria and Carinthia in Austria.[4] The breed is raised for milk and for meat.[1]
Characteristics
The Bovec may be off-white, or in about 30% of cases, black or brown.[1] They have small ears, short, thin legs, and their belly is bare.[5] The back legs are inclined forward so that they can walk on steep meadows easily.[2]
Height of rams is 64 cm (25 in) and ewes 60 cm (24 in) at the withers.[1] A breeding ewe provides approximately 1.23 lambs per litter, lactates for 210 days and in that time yields 221 kg (487 lb) of milk with 6.3% fat.[2]
Numbers
In 2012 a population in Slovenia of 3500 was reported to DAD-IS.[2] Other sources estimate the number of pure-bred examples there at 1200.[1][5] The Krainer Steinschaf population in Austria was reported to be in the range 2719–4000 in 2012.[6]
The Plezzana 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] in 2013 the herdbook was empty.[7] The population in Italy is estimated at 40–50 head.[1][5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. pp. 260–261.
- ^ a b c d Breed data sheet: bovška ovca/Slovenia. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ Breed data sheet: Plezzana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ Krainer Steinschaf (in German). ARCHE Austria: Verein zur Erhaltung seltener Nutztierrassen. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ a b c d 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. 67. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ Breed data sheet: Krainer Steinschaf/Austria. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 01 Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.