In this study, we analysed the wool colour and coat colour patterns of 336 Bovec sheep, representing approximately 10% of the autochthonous breed in Slovenia. The aim of the thesis was to identify the presence of the pigments pheomelanin (light) and eumelanin (dark), and to identify characteristic coat colour patterns specific to the breed. The results showed that 53.87% of animals had predominantly pheomelanin, 26.79% had only eumelanin, and 19.35% had a combination of both pigments. We identified thirteen typical coat colour patterns with specific local names and are listed in descending order of frequency: white (30.06%), meravkasta (14.29%), krančasta (8.63%), boškasta (8.33%), black (8.33%), pirnjasta (8.04%), romasta (8.04%), kapasta (5.95%), špegla (3.57%), breškasta (2.38%), lisičja (1.49%), gauba (0.60%) and črna štumfa (0.30%). The results confirm the predominance of light (white) wool colour and contribute significantly to the understanding of the phenotypic diversity in Bovec sheep and provide a basis for further genetic studies of colour patterns specific to the breed. The collected information is important for preserving this autochthonous breed in its original form, as well as the cultural heritage associated with it.
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