Wool fiber quality of Pecora Ciuta, a local sheep breed from the Italian Alps

Introduction Pecora Ciuta is an indigenous breed from Valtellina and Alto Lario, primarily raised for meat production intended for consumption in local farm stays; wool remains a by-product. In the past, this breed provided wool which, although in limited quantity, was well utilized once spun and knitted into clothing and quilts, or carded to stuff mattresses. The VAL3CIUTA project aims to characterize and enhance the products of the Ciuta sheep. In this context, the present study intends to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Ciuta sheep wool, with the objective of contributing to its valorization and, in the future, the development of a local processing supply chain. Materials and methods Ninety-six wool samples were collected from three partner farms of the project during the shearing carried out in September 2023. The following parameters were measured using instrumental analysis: fleece weight (kg), yield (%), fiber fineness (μm), variability of fineness (%), and comfort factor (%). Descriptive statistics were calculated for the obtained parameters, and comparisons were made using the least squares method (JMP Pro 17 software from SAS) to test the effect of the farm of origin, the number of shearings (first shearing vs. non-first shearing), and the age of the animals (1-9 years). The presence of any correlations between the parameters was analyzed using a multivariate correlation matrix Results and discussion The average weight of wool obtained from each shearing per animal is 1.5 ± 0.5 kg, with a good yield on the greasy wool: 73.3% for farm 1, 73.5% for farm 2, and 79.3% for farm 3, highlighting differences in farm management of the animals. The average fiber diameter is 30.3 ± 3.2 μm, with a coefficient of variability (CV) of 35.9 ± 6.6% and a comfort factor (CF) of 61.8 ± 12.3%. The farm of origin significantly influenced all measured parameters (p<0.01), while the number of shearings (p<0.001) and the age of the animals (p<0.05) showed a significant effect exclusively on fleece weight, with the highest quantity (2.0 ± 0.6 kg) recorded in 5-year-old animals at subsequent shearings, and the lowest quantity (1.2 ± 0.4 kg) in younger animals, lambs and yearlings up to 1 year of age, and at the first shearing. No significant correlations were observed between the parameters. In conclusion, the fleece weight of the Ciuta is in line with the average production of non-Merino sheep breeds of similar size. The average fineness is coarse but usable for textile purposes. Unfortunately, the high CV negatively impacts the spinnability and final yarn count, while the low CF indicates a high percentage of fibers above 30 μm, with a strong likelihood of medullation, responsible for the prickle effect in yarns and fabrics.