Biellese

Biellese is a large Italian sheep breed from the Biella area of Piedmont, traditionally kept in Alpine and pre-Alpine systems. It is typically white, polled, and substantial in frame, with a history connected to meat production and local pastoral movement. The breed belongs to Italy's regional sheep resources rather than to the specialized finewool or dairy categories, though ewes may have enough milk to support good lamb growth.

Producers may use Biellese sheep for lamb production where size, maternal ability, and adaptation to northern Italian conditions are valued. Management should watch leg soundness, body condition on seasonal grazing, and lambing ease in larger-framed ewes. Wool is usually a secondary product, but fleece condition can still reflect nutrition and flock health. Because some Italian regional breeds have faced declining numbers, source records and purebred identification matter for conservation as well as for buyers trying to understand performance expectations.