Roccaverano goat

Roccaverano

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]
Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	Piemonte
Standard	MIPAAF
Use	milk, also meat[2]
Traits
Weight	Male: 70–80 kg[3] Female: 55 kg[3]
Height	Male: 85–90 cm[3] Female: 80–85 cm[3]
Coat	variable: white, brown or black
Horn status	usually hornless[4]
Beard	usually bearded[4]
Tassels	present in about 50%[4]
Goat Capra aegagrus hircus

The Roccaverano is an Italian breed of large domestic goat from the Langhe, in the provinces of Asti and Cuneo, in Piemonte in north-western Italy. It is raised mainly in the Langa Astigiana, mostly within the Comunità montana Langa Astigiana Val Bormida [it]}, and is named for the town and comune of Roccaverano in that area.^[2] The origins of the breed are unknown.^[2]

The Roccaverano 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 variously reported as 3117^[7] and as 2390.^[8]

Use

Robiola di Roccaverano cheese

The milk yield of the Roccaverano per lactation of about 240 days is 246±76 litres for primiparous, 378±146 litres for secondiparous, and 397±154 litres for pluriparous, nannies.^[6] The milk averages 3.30% fat and 3.05% protein, and is all used to make robiola, either Robiola di Roccaverano, made with a mixture of cow's milk, goat's milk and sheep's milk, which has DOP status; or the pure goat's-milk Robiola di Roccaverano pura caprina.^[2]

Kids 30–45 days old and weighing 12–14 kg are slaughtered at Easter time.^[3]

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. 386–87.
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. Norme tecniche della popolazione caprina "Roccaverano": standard della razza (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia. 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. 107. Accessed June 2014.
7. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 95 Roccaverano Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed June 2014.
8. Breed data sheet: Roccaverano/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.