Appenninica

A modern Italian breed from the central Apennines, mainly Tuscany and Umbria but also Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and the Marche. It was created in the 1970s by crossing local breeds (e.g. Bariscianese, Casentinese, Vissana) with Bergamasca and French Île-de-France and Berrichon du Cher rams and selecting for size and meat yield.

Polled in both sexes, with horizontally carried ears. Mature rams average 78 kg and 77 cm, ewes 56 kg and 69 cm. It is well adapted to Apennine terrain.

Kept mainly for spring or heavy lambs: about 4.2 kg at birth, 14 kg at 45 days and 24 kg at 90 days. It gives 100–120 kg of milk per lactation, mostly taken by the lambs, the rest possibly for pecorino; the wool is coarse.