Merinizzata Italiana sheep raised mainly for meat and wool. The breed is originated from southern Italy. The purpose of the breed was to produce good quality meat without any compromise on the quality of wool.
Merinizzata Italiana sheep breed information
Merinizzata Italiana a dual-purpose breed that is raised mainly for wool and meat.
A medium-sized sheep with good white wool and the skin is rosy.
The adult Merinizzata Italiana ram weighs 70 kg (155 lb) and ewe weighs 55 kg (120 lb)
The adult Merinizzata Italiana ram height 79 cm and ewe height 69 cm
The lamb is slaughter ready at the weight of 10 to 15 kg at the age of 6 to 7 weeks.
The lamb is weaned at 6-7 weeks of age.
The fleece weight from ram is 4.5 kg and the ewe is 2.5 kg with a fiber diameter of 18 to 26 microns.
Things to know
Merinizzata Italiana was produced in the late 20th century by cross-breeding of indigenous Gentile di Puglia and Sopravissana stock with imported Merino breeds such as the French Berrichon du Cher and Île-de-France, and the German Merinolandschaf.
The regions which adopted Merinizzata Italian breed are Abruzzo, L’Aquila, and Teramo.
The Associazione Nazionale Della Pastorizia has kept the genealogical handbook for Merinizzata Italiana breed, it’s one of the seventeen autochthonous Italian sheep breeds.
The Merinizzata Italiana breed is reared in the hill pastures from the late spring to the early fall and in the lowland pasture in the other seasons.
During 2000 only 19 k registered in the herdbook, while in 2013 the number increase to 27k.
Numbering approximately 500,000 heads all over Italy.
Brief characteristics of Merinizzata Italiana sheep
| Breed Name | Merinizzata Italiana sheep |
| Other Name | |
| Country/Place of Origin | Italy |
| Breed Purposeamerica | meat and wool |
| Breed Size | medium |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 70 kg (155 lb) |
| Ewe(Female) | 55 kg (120 lb) |
| Kidding | single |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | local conditions |
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
