The Tiroler BergschaforPecora 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]
^ abBreed data sheet: Tiroler Bergschaf/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
^ abcDaniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN9788850652594.
^ abLe 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.
