Istrian Milk Sheep
A
lso Known As: Istrian Pramenka (Slovenia), Istarska Ovca (Croatian), Istarska Pramenka (Croatian), Istriana or Carsolian (Italian)
Istrian Milk originates in Istria and Karst, in addition they are found in the regions
of Gorizia in Italy. The name comes from the peninsula Istria. They are a dairy breed also kept for meat
and wool production. The wool is of carpet wool quality. The Istrian Milk is of the
Pramenda type and is nearly extinct. This breed now exists in two countries, Slovenia and Croatia. In Slovenia about 300 breeding ewes are reared, 
whereas breeding material and conservation programs are run in both countries.
Performance
Istrian Milk sheep produce milk with high fat and protein content. Using traditional husbandry methods they produce between 100 and 150 kg milk in the lactation with a fat content of 9% and a protein content over 6.4%. Some animals will produce milk that contains more than 13% fat and more than 7% protein with over 25% dry matter.
Table 1: Milk yield and content of some compounds in milk in the Istrian Pramenka sheep
| Year | n | Yield kg | Fat % | Protein % | Lactose % | Dry Matter % | Milking Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 51 | 142 | 9.29 | 6.42 | 5.73 | 21.44 | 125 |
| 1994 | 28 | 107 | 7.51 | 5.44 | 4.34 | 18.00 | 103 |
| 1995 | 45 | 150 | 7.20 | 5.80 | 4.10 | 16.70 | 229 |
References
Drago Kompan, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, 1230 DOMZALE, SLOVENIA Email: Dragomir.Kompan@Bfro.Uni-Lj.Sl
Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.