Cornella Bianca

Cornella Bianca

Conservation status	FAO (2007): critical[1]
Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	province of Bologna province of Ferrara province of Modena province of Reggio Emilia
Standard	MIPAAF
Use	dual-purpose, milk and meat
Traits
Weight	Male: 80–85 kg[2] Female: 65–70 kg[2]
Height	Male: 85–90 cm[2] Female: 75–80 cm[2]
Wool colour	white
Face colour	white
Horn status	horned in both sexes
Sheep Ovis aries

The Cornella Bianca is an Italian breed of domestic sheep from the Apennines of Emilia–Romagna in central Italy.[3] It is raised principally in mountainous parts of the provinces of Bologna, Modena and Reggio Emilia, where it is transhumant. Some are also raised in the plains around Ferrara, Rovigo and Vicenza.[4]: 206 [5]: 53  It is found particularly in the comuni of Minerbio, Baricella and Malalbergo in the province of Bologna and Argenta in the province of Ferrara.[5]: 53 

History

The origins of the Cornella Bianca breed are unknown.[5]: 53  It has probably been influenced by the Garfagnina Bianca and Massese breeds from the Tuscan side of the Apennines, with which the transhumance would have brought it into contact.[4]: 206 [6] 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.[5]: 53 

The conservation status of the Cornella Bianca was listed as "critical" by the FAO in 2007.[1] In 2013 total numbers for the breed were reported to be 228.[7]

References

1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (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: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
2. Norme tecniche della popolazione ovina "Cornella Bianca": standard della razza (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali. Accessed May 2014.
3. Breed data sheet: Cornella Bianca. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
4. Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594.
5. Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine.Accessed September 2013.
6. Daniele Bigi (2008). Razze zootecniche in pericolo di estinzione: la pecora Cornella Bianca (in Italian). Vita in campagna 2008 (3): 49. Archived 16 May 2021.
7. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 38 Cornella Bianca Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.