Maltese
Conservation statusFAO (2007): not at risk[1]
Country of originAsia Minor[2]
Distribution
StandardMIPAAF
Usemilk[4]
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    70 kg[2]
  • Female:
    46 kg[2]
Height
  • Male:
    87 cm[2]
  • Female:
    71 cm[2]
Skin colourpinkish white, dark where the coat is black
Wool colourwhite
Face colourwhite with black sides, black crown and black ears
Horn statussometimes horned[5]
Beardmales usually bearded[5]
Tasselsmay be present[5]

The Maltese is a breed of domestic goat from the east and central Mediterranean area.[4]: 371  It originates in Asia Minor, and takes its name from the island of Malta.[2] It is raised mainly in southern Italy, and particularly in the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.[4]: 371  Although the Maltese: Mogħża Maltija is reported to DAD-IS,[6] the official view is that there are no pure-bred specimens of the breed in the Maltese islands, although it is possible that some modern Maltese goats are closely related to the original type.[7]: 36  The Maltese is also present in Greece, Turkey[8] and the Maghreb.[4]: 371 

Characteristics

The Maltese is a long-haired white goat characterised by a raven-black area on the top and sides of the head and long pendulous black ears which turn outwards at the tip.[4]: 371 

Registration and numbers

In Italy, the Maltese is one of the eight autochthonous Italian goat breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep- and goat-breeders.[9][10]: 90  The herdbook was established in 1976.[2] The Italian population of the breed was estimated in 1983 to be about 70,000, and in 2005 at 40,000. At the end of 2013 the registered population reported was 1934.[11]

In 2023, a non-profit organisation named Breeds of Origin Conservancy collaborated with a Maltese farm in Delimara known as Tulliera Farm Deli and imported 60 goats from Sicily in order to strengthen the endangered indigenous Maltese goat population in Malta. [12]

Use

The Maltese is a valued milk breed; the milk has pleasant taste without an excessively "goaty" odour or flavour. Yield per lactation is 242 ± 87 litres for primiparous, 307 ± 141 litres for secondiparous, and 358 ± 160 litres for pluriparous, nannies; it may reach 500–600 kg in 300 days.[2] The milk has an average of 4.28% fat and 3.66% protein.[4]: 372  In Sicily the milk is used to make ricotta and traditional caprino cheeses including Padduni, which has PAT status, and Formaggiu ri crapa.[4]: 372 

Kids are slaughtered at a weight of 8–11 kg.[4]: 372 

References

  1. ↑ Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed June 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lorenzo Noè, Alessandro Gaviraghi, Andrea D'Angelo, Adriana Bonanno, Adriana Di Trana, Lucia Sepe, Salvatore Claps, Giovanni Annicchiarico, Nicola Bacciu (2005). Le razze caprine d'Italia (in Italian); in: Giuseppe Pulina (2005). L' alimentazione della capra da latte. Bologna: Avenue Media. ISBN 9788886817493, pages 381–435. Archived 5 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Breed data sheet: Maltese/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594.
  5. 1 2 3 Razza Maltese: Norme Tecniche Allegate al Disciplinare del Libro Genealogico della Specie Caprina (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia. Accessed June 2014.
  6. ↑ Breed data sheet: Moghza Matija/Italy [sic]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
  7. ↑ Rural Development Department (2012). Rural Development Programme for Malta 2007 – 2013. Malta: Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs. Accessed June 2012.
  8. ↑ Transboundary breed: Maltese. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
  9. ↑ Strutture Zootecniche (Dec. 2009/712/CE - Allegato 2 - Capitolo 2) (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali. Section I (e). Archived 4 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. Accessed June 2014.
  11. ↑ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 40 Maltese Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Imports 60 goats from Sicily to strengthen indigenous Maltese goats". tvmnews.mt. 13 September 2023.
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