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| Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk[1] |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | Italy |
| Distribution | north and centralSicily |
| Standard | MIPAAF |
| Use | triple-purpose, primarily for milk |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Wool colour | white |
| Face colour | brick-red with white frontal stripe |
| Horn status | hornless in both sexes |
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TheComisana, also known asFaccia Rossa andLentinese, is an Italianbreed of domesticsheep indigenous to central and northern areas of the Mediterranean island ofSicily.[3][4] Its name derives from that of thecomune ofComiso, in theprovince of Ragusa. It is raised principally in theprovinces ofCaltanissetta,Enna andPalermo, but is found in many other Italian provinces and has also been exported to otherMediterranean countries.[4]
The origins of the Comisana sheep are obscure; it is a southern Mediterranean breed.[4] It appears to derive fromcross-breeding of the SicilianPinzirita withMaltese sheep imported to Sicily towards the end of the nineteenth century.[5]: 788
It is one of the seventeenautochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by theAssociazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders;[6] the herdbook was established in 1976.[3] Total numbers for the breed were estimated at 350,000 in 1983, of which 64,500 were registered in the herdbook.[4] In 2013 the number recorded in the herdbook was 28,428;[7] in 2019 it was 2105.[8]
The milk yield of the Comisana averages104 ± 30 litres per lactation forprimiparous ewes, and189 ± 51 L forpluriparous ones. It may exceed500 L. The milk has 6.5% fat and 5.2% protein.[6] Lambs are usually slaughtered at the age of about one month, at a weight of9–10 kg. Rams yield about2.5 kg of wool, ewes about1.3 kg; the wool is of coarse quality, suitable for mattresses.[4]
