Other names Faccia RossaLentinese Standard MIPAAF | Country of origin Italy | |
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Conservation status FAO (2007): not at risk Use triple-purpose, primarily for milk Similar Massese sheep, Sarda sheep, Appenninica, Bergamasca sheep, Laticauda sheep | ||
The Comisana, also known as Faccia Rossa and Lentinese, is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to central and northern Sicily, Italy. Its name derives from that of the comune of Comiso, in the province of Ragusa. It is raised principally in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Enna and Palermo, but is found in many other Italian provinces and has also been exported to other Mediterranean countries.
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History
The origins of the Comisana sheep are obscure; it is a southern Mediterranean breed.
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; the herdbook was established in 1976. Total numbers for the breed were estimated at 350,000 in 1983, of which 64,500 were registered in the herdbook; in 2013 the number recorded in the herdbook was 28,428.
Use
The milk yield of the Comisana averages 104 ± 30 litres per lactation for primiparous ewes, and 189 ± 51 l for pluriparous ones. It may exceed 500 l. The milk has 6.5% fat and 5.2% protein. Lambs are usually slaughtered at the age of about one month, at a weight of 9–10 kg. Rams yield about 2.5 kg of wool, ewes about 1.3 kg; the wool is of coarse quality, suitable for mattresses.
