Conservation status | |
---|---|
Country of origin | Italy |
Distribution | Puglia, Basilicata |
Standard | MIPAAF |
Use | formerly triple-purpose, meat/milk/wool; now principally for milk |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Height | |
Skin color | pinkish white, black speckles or spots |
Wool color | white |
Face color | white |
|
The Altamurana is a breed of sheep from the province of Bari, in Puglia in southern Italy.[2][4] It takes its name from the town of Altamura, in the Murge. It is of Asiatic, possibly Syrian, origin. It is raised mainly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia.[2] 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 on average 7.5% fat and 6.5% protein.[2]
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 190,000 head.[2] In 2012 the total number recorded for the breed was 230;[6] it is considered to be at risk of extinction.[2]