Bergamasca sheep is a breed raised primarily for meat and is used for cross-breeding with other meat breeds to improve meat yield. The breed us from northern Italy, the mountainous part of the province of Bergamo.
Initially, they were raised for milk production. As they produce around 250 kg of milk during their lactation period with 6 % fat. But later on, breeders found out the sheep grow fast and produce enough meat, that meat business was more lucrative than milk.
Bergamasca sheep breed information
The breed is white in color with a medium-size built.
Bergamasca ram weighs around 110 kg (240 lbs) and ewes weigh around 80 kg (175 lbs).
Rams grow to 90 cm (35 in) at the withers and ewes grow at 80 cm(31 in) at the withers.
Coarse wooled meat breed which is polled and belongs to the Lop-earned Alpine group.
Things to know
The Bergamasca is the foundation of the other Lop-eared Alpine breeds and of Fabrianese, Pavullese, Perugian Lowland and Zakynthos.
The Bergamasca sheep also called by many names like Begamacia(Brazil), Bergamasker and Gigante di Bergamo.
80% of the registered stock is kept in the province of Teramo in Abruzzo.
In the 20th century the breed has gained more popularity and reached almost all of northern Italy. Also found in Serbia, Venezuela, and Brazil.
By 2013 there were in excess of 12,000 Bergamasca sheep worldwide, 9,000 of which were found in Teramo, Italy.
It 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
Brief characteristics of Bergamasca Sheep
| Breed Name | Bergamasca sheep | |
| Other Name | Bergamasker, Gigante di Bergamo and Bergamacia | |
| Country/Place of Origin | Italy | |
| Breed Purpose | Meat | |
| Breed Size | large | |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 110 kg (240 lbs) | |
| Ewe(Female) | 80 kg (175 lbs) | |
| Kidding | one | |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing | |
| Climate Tolerance | Native Climates |
Reference: Wikipedia
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