Grigia Molisana

Grigia Molisana

Conservation status	FAO (2007): endangered[1]
Other names	Campobasso Capra di Campobasso Capra di Montefalcone
Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	Molise
Standard	MIPAAF
Use	dual-purpose, milk and meat[2]
Traits
Weight	Male: 60–64 kg[3] Female: 50–55 kg[3]
Height	Male: 80–85 cm[3] Female: 70–75 cm[3]
Skin colour	usually dark
Coat	variable
Horn status	usually horned
Goat Capra aegagrus hircus

The Grigia Molisana is an Italian breed of greyish domestic goat indigenous to Molise in southern Italy.^[4] It is raised in the comuni of Acquaviva Collecroci, Castelmauro, Montefalcone nel Sannio, Montemitro and San Felice del Molise; all are in the province of Campobasso, and the breed may also be called the Capra di Campobasso. The highest concentration is in Montefalcone, from which the name Capra di Montefalcone derives. The origins of the breed are not known; studies conducted in the 1980s suggest influence from the Alpino Comune, Garganica and Maltese breeds.^[2]

The Grigia Molisana is one of the forty-three autochthonous Italian goat breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep- and goat-breeders.^[5][6] At the end of 2013 the registered population was 443, all of which were in the province of Campobasso.^[7]

Use

The milk yield of the Grigia Molisana is 300–320 litres in 150 days. The milk has 4.1% fat, 3.0% protein and 4.8% lactose.^[8] It is used to make Caprino di Montefalcone del Sannio goat's-milk cheese, which is listed in the Ark of Taste, and Formaggio di Pietracatella and Pecorino di Capracotta, which have PAT status.^[2]

Kids weigh 3 kg at birth, and average 11–12 kg at 60 days. Misischia, a salume of sun-dried goat's meat, is also produced.^[2]

References

1. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed June 2014.
2. Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 334–35.
3. Lorenzo Noè, Alessandro Gaviraghi, Andrea D'Angelo, Adriana Bonanno, Adriana Di Trana, Lucia Sepe, Salvatore Claps, Giovanni Annicchiarico, Nicola Bacciu (2005). Le razze caprine d'Italia (in Italian); in: Giuseppe Pulina (2005). L' alimentazione della capra da latte. Bologna: Avenue Media. ISBN 9788886817493. p. 381–435. Archived 5 October 2014.
4. Breed data sheet: Grigia Molisana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
5. Strutture Zootecniche (Dec. 2009/712/CE - Allegato 2 - Capitolo 2) (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali. Section I (e). Archived 4 May 2014.
6. Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. p. 92. Accessed June 2014.
7. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 91 Campobasso Grigia Molisana Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed June 2014.
8. Norme tecniche della popolazione caprina "Campobasso (Grigia Molisana)": standard della razza (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia. Accessed June 2014.