Tiroler Bergschaf

Tiroler Bergschaf

Other names	Pecora Alpina Tirolese
Country of origin	Austria Italy
Traits
Weight	Male: 80–120 kg Female: 70–100 kg
Wool colour	white
Face colour	white
Notes
dual-purpose, meat and wool
Sheep Ovis aries

Ewe with twin lambs in Achenkirch am Achensee, in Tyrol in Austria

The Tiroler Bergschaf or Pecora Alpina Tirolese is a breed of domestic sheep from the mountainous Tyrol area of Austria and Italy.[1]: 288 [2] The name means "Tyrolean mountain sheep". It is raised throughout Austria[3] and in the autonomous province of Bolzano in Italy.[2]: 288  It results from cross-breeding between the Tiroler Steinschaf of the Tyrol with the Italian Bergamasca breed from the area of Bergamo.[4]: 78  This is variously reported as having taken place in the first half of the 19th century[3] and after the Second World War.[2]: 288 

The Tiroler Bergschaf 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.[4]: 78  In 2013 no total number for the breed was recorded in the herdbook.[5] In 2008 an Italian population of 12888 was reported to DAD-IS.[1]

The Austrian herdbook was opened in 1938; the population reported for Austria in 2012 was 12901 to 19000.[3]

References

1. Breed data sheet: Tiroler Bergschaf/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
2. Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594.
3. Breed data sheet: Tiroler Bergschaf/Austria. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
4. Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. Archived 21 September 2013.
5. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 02 Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.