The Fabrianese sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from Italy. It is a pretty modern breed and actually from the Marche region of central Italy.
The breed takes it’s name from the town and comune of Fabriano, in the province of Ancona. It was developed in the 1960s, as a dual-purpose breed.
And the breed was created by cross-breeding local sheep breeds of the Apennines of the Marche with rams of the Bergamasca breed from the Alps of Lombardy.
Today, these animals are raised in the eastern foothills of the Apennines, in the provinces of Ancona, Ascoli Piceno and Macerata in the Marche and also in the province of Terni in Umbria.
The Fabrianese sheep is one of the 17 autochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept. And the herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia.
The Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia is the Italian national association of sheep-breeders. And the herdbook was established in the year of 1974.
Total population of the breed was estimated at about 25,000 head in 1983, of which registered animals were 4600. And the number increased to about 70,000 in 1997.
But total numbers registered in 2013 was 3342. Read some more information about this breed below.
Fabrianese Sheep Characteristics
The Fabrianese sheep are medium sized animals with complete white body coloration. Their face color is completely white. Both rams and ewes are usually polled, that means they have no horns.
Average body height of the mature animals is about 82 cm at the withers for the mature rams, and around 74 cm for the mature ewes.
As a medium to large sized animal, average live body weight of the mature Fabrianese rams is about 90 kg. And the mature ewes on average weight around 68 kg. Photo and info from ansi.okstate.edu and Wikipedia.
Uses
The Fabrianese sheep was developed as a dual-purpose animal. It is raised for both meat and milk production.
Special Notes
The Fabrianese sheep are hardy and strong animals, and they are well adapted to their native climates. The lambs grow relatively faster and reach slaughtering weight fast.
Average milk yield of the ewes is around 150 liters in a lactation period of 180 days for primiparous, about 200 to 220 liters for pluriparous ewes.
However, review full breed profile of the Fabrianese sheep in the following chart.
| Breed Name | Fabrianese |
| Other Name | None |
| Breed Purpose | Meat and milk |
| Special Notes | Very hardy and strong animals, active, well adapted to their local climates, dual-purpose animals, raised for both milk and meat production, lambs grow relatively faster, ewes are good milk producers |
| Breed Size | Medium to large |
| Weight | Mature ram’s body weight is around 90 kg, and mature ewe’s body weight is around 68 kg |
| Horns | No |
| Climate Tolerance | Native climates |
| Color | White |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Italy |
