Ţsurcană

Ţsurcană is the great rustic mountain sheep of Romania and the Carpathians, also linked with Valachian sheep traditions. It is widespread in several varieties, including white, gray, and black, and carries coarse, long wool, active movement, and a mixed role in milk, meat, and fleece. The breed has been shaped by transhumance, mountain grazing, and the need to travel far for forage in difficult weather.

Practical Ţsurcană flocks often prize ewes that milk well enough for lambs and seasonal dairy use, keep condition on rough ground, and produce durable wool rather than fine fiber. Management should include predator-aware shepherding, hoof care, and sorting by ecotype because not every population performs alike. For conservation and farm use, the breed's strength is resilience, but selection still needs to guard against poor udders, weak legs, and unmanaged horn problems.