Comisana

Comisana
Conservation status	not at risk
Other names	Faccia Rossa, Lentinese
Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	north and central Sicily
Use	Triple-purpose, primarily for milk
Traits
Weight	Male: 80 kg
	Female: 50 kg
Height	Male: 80 cm
	Female: 70 cm
Wool color	white
Face color	brick-red with white frontal stripe
Sheep Ovis aries

The Comisana, also known as Faccia Rossa and Lentinese, is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to central and northern Sicily, Italy.^[1][2] 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.^[2] Its origins are obscure; it is a southern Mediterranean breed.^[2]

The Comisana 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.^[3] Total numbers for the breed were estimated at 350,000 in 1983, of which 64,500 were registered in the herdbook;^[2] in 2013 the number recorded in the herdbook was 28,428.^[4]

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.^[3] Lambs are usually slaughtered at about a month old, 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.^[2]

References