It just so happened that they try to bring up boys strong and courageous, but ...
The sheep is one of the most ancient domestic animals. Historical sources say that this branch of animal husbandry flourished in the most ancient times. Biblical stories testify to this. However, even today, sheep breeding has not lost its popularity. Countries leading in the number of sheep provide the whole world with valuable wool, meat and dairy products.
Sheep are one of the few animals that are bred to obtain not only meat and milk, but also wool. As a livestock industry, sheep are the third largest in the world. And today it is one of the most extensive species. Agriculture. According to the latest data, the world population of these animals is about 1.2 billion heads.
The countries of the subtropical and tropical zones, which have large grazing areas, are engaged in the breeding of these animals. Desert and semi-desert areas are also suitable for sheep breeding. Therefore, the geography of the industry is extremely wide and diverse. Modern countries the leaders in the number of sheep are China, Australia, India, Great Britain, New Zealand, Sudan. This industry is also popular in Russia, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, Brazil and some other countries.
China
For more than a dozen years in a row, this particular camp, oddly enough, has been the leader in the number of sheep. According to the most recent statistics (2011), there were over 138 million adults in China. The main activity is the production and sale of lamb ... The Celestial country provides almost 30% of the total world supply of this type of meat.
Young mutton is in the greatest demand in the world, so every year China develops and implements new effective ways to intensify the industry. However, the demand for wool is not forgotten either. Therefore, they are engaged in breeding modern fine-wool breeds.
Australia
Australia can rightfully be called the capital of sheep breeding. Only in this country there are 5 times more animals than people. At last count, in 2000, there were about 120 million sheep. However, today this number has decreased slightly and leaves about 100 million heads. The production is based on high quality wool. Australia annually provides a third of the total world production of fine wool sheepskin.
Downy fields
Australia needs to be given special attention when considering sheep breeding. The fact is that the largest herds are located here. For example, the average Australian herd has 1.5 thousand heads. Large farms keep more than 200 thousand heads. Mostly Merino breed.
Australia is unique. Only here pastures for sheep occupy such an area that is equal to the area, for example, the whole of Luxembourg. And household farms are called stanitsa - shipstations. On pastures, as a rule, huge herds graze unattended, gradually moving to new areas.
New Zealand
In the 30s of the 19th century, a small herd of merino was brought from Australia. Since then, New Zealand has confidently entered the top three countries in terms of sheep population. Today, about 50 million heads of the local semi-fine wool meat and wool breed are bred here. At the end of the last century, there were about 17 sheep for every inhabitant of the country. New Zealand has entered the world market as one of the largest exporters of wool and lamb.
Interesting. The fact that it is sheep breeding is the main industry is also reminded in the state by the coat of arms.
United Kingdom
Compared to China or Australia, England does not have a very large number of sheep - just over 40 million. However, there is a very high productivity and popularity of the livestock industry. For example, in the 19th century, many famous breeds were bred here: meat Wiltshire Horn, wool Wensleydale and others.
In England, there are about 100 sheep for every 100 hectares of agricultural land. This is an extremely extensive form of farming. At the same time, farms place more emphasis on the production of mutton rather than wool. Great Britain is one of the three leaders in the world export of mutton.
In the highlands of Wales and Scotland, pastures are poor, so sheep breeding is the leading livestock industry. Here, in one farm alone, the livestock can reach 8 and more thousand heads. For such small territories, this is a large indicator.
Other countries
Among all the leading countries, it is also worth mentioning India, which has 40 million sheep, Sudan - 39 million, Turkey - 33 million, South Africa - 29 million. Sheep breeding is also developed in Iran, Brazil, Israel, Morocco, and Russia. The countries of Central and Western Asia are suppliers of a very valuable type of fur - astrakhan fur or lamb skins. Israel is a leading exporter of sheep's cheese and milk.
In our country, according to data for 2011, the number of these animals is 19.8 million. In the world, Russia ranks 9th in wool shearing - about 1.61 kilograms of washed wool from one sheep.
The Downy People of Australia video
In this video you will see how sheep live in Australia, which are the most popular breeds. You will also see how the wool is cut and the animals are prepared for the exhibition.
People have been engaged in animal husbandry since ancient times. Agree that this branch of agriculture plays the most important role in the life of mankind. Animals provide people with milk, meat, wool, skins, and provide raw materials for pharmaceutical companies. Due to the growth of the world's population, the production of livestock products is constantly growing. There are many industries in animal husbandry, but the following are of global importance: breeding of livestock, sheep, pigs, poultry.
Large cattle in the number of goals in the world is in first place. Breeding livestock is a priority in many countries. Cows, bulls, buffaloes, yaks are bred in industrial scale, and in private farms. Livestock geography extensive. In areas rich in pastures with lush grass ( temperate latitudes: forests, forest-steppe), dairy cattle breeding prevails. In areas with an arid climate, cattle are bred for meat, meat and dairy production.
Leading countries in the number of cattle
| countries are the leaders in the number of cattle in decreasing | breeding conditions, livestock characteristics |
| India | The largest livestock population is located in this country. The Hindu cow is a sacred animal. Religious beliefs of people in India do not allow any interference in the process of breeding, livestock. Therefore, the quality of the livestock leaves much to be desired. |
| Brazil | in the arid east of this country, distant pasture cattle breeding of meat direction prevails |
| China | this country is catastrophically overpopulated, there are practically no pastures. Cattle breeding is a stall meat direction. Dairy products are traditionally not popular in China |
| USA | V North America well-developed cattle breeding of both meat (in the West) and dairy (northern regions of the country, lakeside states) directions |
Nubian goats: features of keeping animals of this breed
Sheep breeding
Sheep breeding ranks second after cattle breeding. Sheep is popular everywhere, with the exception of areas with a humid tropical climate. Sheep easily tolerate heat, drought, frost, but cannot stand dampness - from its excess they get sick. Almost every country is engaged in this type of animal husbandry to one degree or another. Sheep are unpretentious animals and special in the sense that they also provide food - meat, lard, milk, and raw materials for textile industry- wool, for fur coat, shoe, furniture, leather production - skins.
Sheep in Australia
Australia is among the top three leaders (China, Australia, India) in terms of sheep population. Sheep in Australia- the leading animal husbandry industry. The west of the country is a dry region and it is not possible to provide livestock in sufficient quantities. But this area is ideal for raising sheep. The main breed of Australian sheep is merino. This breed is famous for its fine fleece. Not surprisingly, Australia ranks first in the world's wool production.
The climatic conditions and landscape of the greater territory of Australia allow all year round in the pasture. Thanks to the hypertrophied herd instinct of these animals, it is not difficult to graze them. The sheep do not scatter, they always keep close. Dogs of a special breed are used as herds of flocks.
Shearing carried out 2 times a year, for this purpose, sheep breeders employ shearer brigades. It takes a highly qualified specialist literally a few seconds to cut one animal. 5 - 9 (sometimes more) kilograms of wool are usually cut from one animal. After shearing, the wool is sorted according to quality (this process is very laborious), pressed and packed in bales. Only 10% of the wool remains in the country, the remaining 90% is exported. The wool of the Australian sheep is in great demand in the world.
How many nipples does a cow, goat, horse have?
Sheep breeds in Australia
The main breed of sheep in Australia is merino... This breed is the result of crossing several breeds of sheep from North Africa and Asia Minor. It was introduced to Australia at the end of the 18th century. This breed is highly regarded all over the world. Merinos are unpretentious in food, easily tolerate temperature fluctuations, and multiply quickly. Ewes bring offspring once a year, but there are several lambs in the litter, usually from 2 to 5.
There are 3 varieties of merino in Australia:
Wool obtained from merino sheep is considered the highest quality and most valuable.
Sheep breeding in Russia
The territory of Russia is huge, the variety of climatic conditions, natural landscapes is favorable for the development of agriculture in different directions. Sheep as an industry is not in last place. Underway breeding work to improve the quality of breeds.
Sheep-breeding regions of Russia
North Caucasian Federal District:
- Dagestan
- Stavropol region
- Karachay-Cherkessia
Southern Federal District:
- Kalmykia
- Astrakhan region
- Rostov region
SHEEP
(Ovis aries),
a domestic animal, a ruminant mammal of the Bovidae family, which also includes goats and cattle, of the Artiodactyla order. In a narrower sense, "sheep" is only a female of this species, while males are called rams (like the genus Ovis in general and all its wild taxa), young animals are called lambs, and young females that have not been mated are called bright. Among the characteristic features of sheep are the presence of glands that open with ducts between the fingers, spirally curved horns with transverse ridges, and the absence of a beard in males. Not all sheep give a fleece, i.e. wool removed during shearing in the form of a solid layer; some are of the smooth-haired type.
Origin. Although the exact origin of domesticated sheep is unknown, their ancestors are considered to be wild taxa that exist in our time, primarily the European mouflon (Ovis musimon), the Asian mouflon (O. orientalis) from the Middle East and the urial, also called the steppe, or Ladakh, ram ( O. orientalis vignei), inhabiting Central Asia... Apparently, sheep were domesticated along with other livestock in the Neolithic, 12,000-8,000 years ago. In the Middle Eastern Neolithic sites, the closer to our time, the more remains of sheep are found, along with spindles and other evidence of weaving production. By the beginning of the historical era, coarse-wooled, fat-tailed and primitive fine-wooled sheep appear. Judging by the oldest written records, sheep were widely used to obtain both meat and wool, which was already at that time one of the most important items of commodity exchange. In Europe, sheep were raised in sedentary farms. In Central Asia, they were probably domesticated later than in the Middle East, but sheep breeding spread here over vast territories and became the basis of the well-being of nomadic peoples.
Fine-wool sheep. Sheep of this type appear to have originated in the Middle East, possibly from mixed flocks, some of which came from Central Asia... Ultimately, fine-fleece animals disappeared everywhere except in Spain, where they were significantly improved and gave rise to the breed group of merino, formed in the period from 1000 BC. to 1700 AD It still remains the world's main source of fleece wool and has been repeatedly used to create new and improve existing breeds. The Spanish merino has given rise to more productive breeds of the same group in other regions with improved wool quality. Among them, noteworthy are the Rambouillet from France, Saxon, Silesian merino and Merino precos from Germany, Delen Merino from the USA, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Argentine and Uruguayan merino. Merino sheep first came to Russia in 1802, but they began to pay sufficient attention to them only in our century. The bulk of the fine-fleece herd in the USSR was made up of Merino-Prekos.
Modern breeds. Most of the highly productive modern sheep breeds of meat and meat-wool trends were created in the British Isles or with significant participation of British breeds. There are 31 purebred sheep breeding associations in Britain. Historically, sheep have always served as one of the world's main sources of meat and wool, and their milk has been used primarily for cheese. For a long time, sheep have been and in some places remain the basis of commodity exchange - both directly and "in the form" of wool - a relatively non-perishable, easy-to-transport product. In fact, wool is still one of the most important agricultural commodities used in world trade. The first settlers took sheep with them as a source of meat, driving them to new lands by land or bringing them on ships. Sheep accompanied people in their mass migrations throughout world history, mingling with local herds along the way or becoming the first livestock to enter the developed territories. They were highly regarded, among other things, for their ease of adaptation to a wide variety of pasture. Many sheep, especially in Central Asia and the Middle East, belong to the fat-tailed and fat-tailed types, producing coarse carpet wool. In various countries, the selection and improvement of local herds has led to the emergence of specialized meat, wool and dairy lines. Attempts to introduce highly productive western breeds into new regions are often difficult due to their inability to adapt to local natural conditions and mainly susceptibility to local diseases to which native sheep tend to be partially or completely resistant.
Types of sheep and their uses. It is believed that there are now 850 improved and unimproved sheep breeds in the world. They are usually categorized according to the nature of the tail. Long-tailed breeds include both primitive and improved western breeds. Fat-tailed animals are animals with a very long tail, which accumulate large reserves of fat with good feeding. The tail can become so heavy that shepherds sometimes have to adapt small carts or sleds to keep its skin from scraping on the ground. These breeds include, for example, the Volosh from European Russia and the Hanyang from China. In wide-tailed breeds, the long tail widens in the upper part, forming wide lobes of adipose tissue on the sides. An example is the woolly Karakul sheep, originating from the Middle East, but bred mainly in Central Asia. Fat-tailed sheep have a very short tail, which is usually not visible from the outside due to a huge forked fat pad (fat tail) hanging from the animal's rump. An example is the Chuy breed from the Bukhara region in Uzbekistan. Short-tailed sheep differ from fat-tailed sheep by the absence of large fat deposits (fat tail) on the rump. Examples are the short-tailed breed from European Russia and the Abyssinian from northeastern Africa. In the west, only a few are familiar with Asian sheep, which are mainly of the fat-tailed, broad-tailed and fat-tailed types. In the east, they are used as a source of meat, cooking oil, milk, cheese, smushki (young skins) and spinning wool. Similar breeds of sheep, producing the same products, exist in Africa, Mediterranean countries and Eastern Europe ... In the most primitive types, the coat is coarse with a slight admixture of fine fibers. In addition, it contains hollow fibers filled with air. Such wool is called carpet and is not used for the production of modern fabrics. There are also a number of rather unusual breeds, sometimes of a bizarre appearance. For example, in Germany, East Frisian dairy sheep, used primarily for milk production, are characterized by rather long coarse hair throughout the body, except for the tail, which is almost naked, covered only with short down. These ewes usually give birth to twins at the first lambing, and twins and triplets at the next. Their milk yield is very high: for lactation (228 days), an average of 600 kg of milk with a fat content of 6% is obtained. High-yielding lines of the fat-tailed Awassi breed are also used as dairy in Israel: on average, per lactation, they give 270 kg of 6% fat product there. The milk of these sheep is also in great demand in Arab countries, mainly for the production of cheese. The Chios breed in Greece is close to the Awassi in productivity. Another dairy breed is the Manesh from the French Pyrenees. They are black-faced, horned animals with coarse fur. Lambs are usually sold to about 11 kg and ewes are milked. Milk is used to make the famous Roquefort cheese. Some sheep breed from three to seven lambs for lambing, such as the Finnish Landrace, the Romanov from Russia, the Dman from Morocco, the Javanese lean-tailed, the Hanyang from China, and the Burula from Australia. Many breeds are characterized by an unusual appearance. So, the Guinean long-legged sheep has very long limbs and a narrow body; the primitive Tsakel breed, distributed from Turkey and Greece to Hungary, is distinguished by long spiral horns sticking out above the head; one of the breeds raised in Iceland and the Hebrides has two to six horned animals (the same sheep are raised by the North American Navajo Indians). The broad-tailed karakul breed is famous for the high quality of skins (smushki) taken from newborn lambs. This fur is used to make fur coats and hats. In Great Britain, very peculiar breeds have also been created. For example, Wiltshire Horn sheep are famous for their meat productivity, but their wool is very short, while in Wensleydale sheep it is coarse, very wavy, with fibers bent at the end, which grows 36-45 cm in 12 months. hairpieces, as well as theatrical and court wigs. Sheep breeds are very diverse in directions of use, addition and color. Most sheep are white, although dark individuals sometimes appear in their droppings. Others are black, such as the Welsh mountain sheep. Animals of fat-tailed and fat-tailed breeds, for which exterior standards are not too strict, are brown, gray, reddish and variegated.
Groups of modern improved breeds. Modern breeds are classified in several ways. According to the color of the muzzle, they are divided into black-faced and white-faced. According to the main direction of use - on meat, meat and wool, wool, dairy, sheepskin and fur coat. According to the quality of wool, there are fine-wooled, semi-fine-wooled, semi-coarse-haired, coarse-haired, as well as short-haired, medium-haired, long-haired and carpet-haired sheep. In the latter, wool is much less uniform in length and fiber diameter than in long-haired ones. A separate group can be considered runless, i.e. smooth-haired sheep. They account for approximately 10% of the world's livestock. Modern breeds differ from primitive ones in higher meat, milk and wool productivity, depending on their specialization. This is due to the increase in size and change in the constitution of animals. Along with the increase in the quantity of the product, its uniformity and quality have increased. However, at the same time, resistance to diseases and unfavorable environmental factors often decreased. Usually, modern breeds, in order to fully realize their highly productive potential, require more care, better feed and housing conditions than primitive ones.
Major sheep breeding regions. It is estimated that there are just over 1.1 billion sheep in the world. Australia, China, New Zealand, Russia, Iran, India, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Uruguay, Argentina, Spain, Ethiopia and Sudan are leading in terms of their livestock. More than half of all sheep are in developing countries. Sheep is one of component parts(although not the main one) integrated agricultural systems. They provide people with food, clothing and money, and are the most important source of income for some of the poorest peoples. In principle, the largest number of sheep is in countries with extensive semi-arid pastures. However, the concentration of these animals per unit area is highest in New Zealand: more than 50 million of them graze on wet grasslands. The main share of fine wool in the world comes from Australia and South Africa where many merino are bred. In Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, there is a large population of coarse-wooled, fat-tailed and fat-tailed sheep. In Western countries, sheep are mainly of the meat-wool type, with a predominance of fine-wool ones where there are enough good pastures.
Feral sheep. Currently, domestic sheep living and breeding without human intervention are found in Britain, Norway, Sweden, in the southeast and west of the United States, in New Zealand, in Hawaii and some other oceanic islands. Usually they reach high numbers only in mild climates, where there are no large predators stray dogs in particular, and the law or geographic isolation protects them from human extermination.
Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .
Synonyms:See what "SHEEP" is in other dictionaries:
In different mythopoetic systems symbolic meanings O. are distinguished by great stability and unity: shyness, bashfulness, meekness, harmlessness, passivity, patience, simplicity, pliability, innocence, gentleness, tenderness, love, ... ... Encyclopedia of mythology
Suyagnaya sheep ... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. Sheep, Sheep, Pereyarok, Sheep, Yarka, Lamb, Merino; fool, fool from the lane, (what a delight) fool, (petaya) fool ... ... Synonym dictionary
SHEEP is a domestic animal, a ruminant mammal of the bovid family, which also includes goats and cattle, of the artiodactyl order. In a narrower sense, a "sheep" is only a female of this species, while males are called rams, young animals - lambs, and young females - bright.
Origin. Although the exact origin of domesticated sheep is unknown, wild taxa are believed to be their ancestors. Sheep were apparently domesticated along with other livestock 12,000 to 8,000 years ago.
By the beginning of the historical era, coarse-wooled, fat-tailed and primitive fine-wooled sheep appeared. In Europe, sheep were raised in sedentary farms. In Central Asia, they were domesticated later than in the Middle East, but sheep breeding spread here over vast territories and became the basis of the well-being of nomadic peoples.
Fine-wool sheep. Sheep of this type, apparently, appeared in the Middle East, possibly on the basis of mixed flocks, some of which came there from Central Asia. The Spanish merino has given rise to more productive breeds of the same group in other regions with improved wool quality.
Merino sheep first came to Russia in 1802, but they began to pay sufficient attention to them only in our century. The bulk of the fine-fleece herd in the USSR was made up of Merino-Prekos.
Modern breeds.
Most of the highly productive modern sheep breeds of meat and meat-wool trends were created in the British Isles or with significant participation of British breeds. Historically, sheep have always served as one of the world's main sources of meat and wool, and their milk has been used primarily for cheese. Many sheep are of the fat-tailed and fat-tailed types, producing coarse carpet wool.
Types of sheep and their uses. It is believed that there are now 850 improved and unimproved sheep breeds in the world. They are usually categorized according to the nature of the tail. Long-tailed breeds include both primitive and improved western breeds.
Fat-tailed animals are animals with a very long tail, which accumulate large reserves of fat with good feeding. The tail can become so heavy that shepherds sometimes have to adapt small carts or sleds to keep its skin from scraping on the ground.
In wide-tailed breeds, the long tail widens in the upper part, forming wide lobes of adipose tissue on the sides. An example is the woolly Karakul sheep, originating from the Middle East, but bred mainly in Central Asia.
Fat-tailed sheep have a very short tail, which is usually not visible from the outside due to a huge forked fat pad (fat tail) hanging from the animal's rump. An example is the Chuy breed from the Bukhara region in Uzbekistan.
Short-tailed sheep differ from fat-tailed sheep by the absence of large fat deposits (fat tail) on the rump. There are also a number of rather unusual breeds, sometimes of a bizarre appearance. For example, in Germany, East Frisian dairy sheep, used primarily for milk production, are characterized by rather long coarse hair throughout the body, except for the tail, which is almost naked, covered only with short down. Many breeds are characterized by an unusual appearance. So, the Guinean long-legged sheep has very long limbs and a narrow body; the primitive Tsakel breed is distinguished by long spiral horns sticking out above the head; in one of the breeds, animals have two or six horns.
The broad-tailed karakul breed is famous for the high quality of skins (smushki) taken from newborn lambs. This fur is used to make fur coats and hats.
In our country, the main livestock of sheep, like other farm animals, is concentrated on collective and state farms. However, a lot of sheep and goats are also in the personal use of the population: their livestock is more than 30 million. In addition, wool, meat, sheepskins are used directly in their own farms, where sheep are kept.
1. 2. Characteristics fine-wool and semi-fine-wool breeds.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FINE ROOTS
Breeds of fine-wooled sheep of a wool direction
These include breeds: Grozny; Stavropol; sala; Azerbaijani mountain merino.
As the name suggests, these sheep are bred to produce high quality merino wool. Their muscles and adipose tissue are poorly developed, so their meat productivity is low. The live weight of rams is on average 80-90 kg, of queens - 45-48 kg. Fine-wooled sheep of the wool direction make the best use of steppe pastures in arid regions of the Stavropol Territory, the Lower Volga region, Kalmykia, and Dagestan.
Breeds of fine-wool sheep of wool and meat direction
These include the following breeds: Caucasian; Altai; Soviet merino; Transbaikal; Kyrgyz fine wool; Krasnoyarsk; South Ural; North Kazakh merino.
Sheep of the wool-meat direction differ from the wool in larger sizes, best forms physique, good meat qualities.
Breeds of fine-wool sheep meat - wool direction
This area of productivity includes sheep breeds: prekos; Kazakh fine-wool; Kazakh archaromerino; Dagestan mountain; Georgian fat-tailed; Vyatka.
Meat-wool sheep are characterized by the absence of skin folding, a barrel-shaped body, they also have well-expressed meat characteristics. In terms of wool shearing, they are noticeably inferior to fine-wool sheep of other directions. They develop poorly and have low productivity. They are bred in the central regions of Russia.
Prekos are the leading meat and wool breed in our country. The animals are large, characterized by the correct constitution. Most of the animals are non-folding, very responsive to the conditions of feeding and keeping.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SEMI-ROLLED BREEDS
Sheep of semi-fine fleece breeds well combine high indicators of wool and meat productivity. Semi-fine-wool meat-wool sheep have a homogeneous wool, different in length, thickness, crimp, gloss, etc. Depending on the degree of expression of luster, the wool of long-haired sheep is divided into 2 groups: with luster wool; with semi-lustrous wool.
Breeds with long chandelier hair
This group includes sheep of the Lincoln and Russian Longhair breeds.
These sheep are characterized by a strong constitution; well-developed skeleton; wide, voluminous head; overgrowth of the head (on the forehead, wool forms a bang); barrel-shaped, with well-defined meaty forms of the body; wide back, loin and sacrum; straight line back and lower back; well executed thighs; legs set wide.
Breeds with long semi-luster coat
This group includes sheep meat and wool breeds in the type of Romney Marsh and Corridel.
Sheep in the Romney-marsh type (Kuibyshev breed, Romney-marsh) are characterized by a strong constitution, well-developed, but not coarse bones; wide head; hornless; overgrowth of the head with fleece up to the line of the eyes; wide and deep chest; long body with well-defined meat forms; wide back, loin and sacrum.
Meat and wool sheep of the corrida type (North Caucasian and Tien Shan breeds) are komola, have a strong constitution; well-developed skeleton; wide head; a wide and deep chest with a dewlap protruding forward; wide withers, back, loin and rump.
This type of sheep is characterized by large shears of wool, good meat production and high vitality. The animals have a strong constitution and are well adapted to year-round grazing.
Shorthaired breeds
Short-haired breeds include: Gorky; Latvian dark-headed; Estonian dark-headed; Lithuanian black-headed; tsigai.
They are characterized by a strong constitution; relatively light, but strong bones; wide and deep, somewhat stretched body; low, correctly set feet. On the head and legs, prickly hair is black and dark brown or brown in color.
The most numerous of all semi-fine wool sheep breeds is Tsigai. Sheep of this breed are characterized by a strong constitution, adapt well to various environmental conditions and are unpretentious. The wool of the Qigai sheep is distinguished by its elasticity and strength. Therefore, it is used mainly for the production of technical cloth. Sheepskins of young and adult animals are used to sew ladies' fur coats, sheepskin coats, sheepskin coats.
1. 3. Characteristic features of semi-coarse-haired and coarse-haired breeds.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SEMI-COATED BREEDS
According to the nature of the coat, animals of semi-coarse-haired breeds occupy an intermediate position between semi-fine-coarse and coarse-haired breeds. The semi-coarse-wooled sheep breeds include: Saradzhinskaya; Tajik; Altai. These breeds are characterized by high meat and grease productivity, good adaptability to desert and mountain pastures. Adult sheep are sheared twice a year - in spring and autumn. Saraja rams weigh 80-85 kg, uterus - 55-60 kg. Sheep of the Tajik breed are larger than those of Saraja: rams weigh 120-130 kg, queens - 70-80 kg, lambs at the age of 4-5 months - 42-45 kg.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF ROUGH-HAIRED BREEDS
Coarse-haired breeds: fur-coat, meat, birch, meat-greasy, meat-wool-dairy, meat-wool.
Fur coat and meat breeds. Basically, meat and fur sheep are represented by the Romanov breed. Romanov queens are highly fertile. They usually produce 2-3 lambs per lambing. From the Romanov sheep, the world's best sheepskin coats are obtained, characterized by lightness, strength and high heat-shielding properties.
Sheep of the Romanov breed are sheared 3 times a year (in March, June, October). Lambs are sheared for the first time at 5-6 months of age.
Sheep skin is thin, dense, elastic, which determines the lightness and good wear of Romanov sheepskin products. Romanov sheep give rough, non-uniform wool, which is used in the textile industry for the manufacture felted shoes, coarse cloth, knitted products. Romanov lambs are black at birth. With age, they brighten due to the outgrowth of white fluff over the black awn.
Smushkovy breeds. The Smushkovs include the Karakul and Sokol sheep breeds. Karakul sheep are mainly bred to obtain beautiful, light and durable bush, which are in great demand. In addition, meat, milk, wool and sheepskin are obtained from Karakul sheep.
Sheep are sheared twice a year - in spring and autumn. Sheep of the Sokol breed give predominantly gray color. In terms of quality, they are inferior to astrakhan, but for a beautiful gray color with blue and steel shades they are in high demand.
Chapter 2. Breeds and number of sheep existing in the Mamadysh region.
2. 1. Information about sheep in rural settlements in Mamadyshsky district.
№ Rural settlements. Sheep total Sheep- Sheep Jarochka Sheep-
uterus production. up to 1g. chicks
1 Krasnogorskoe 137 98 - 30 9
2 N. Oshminskoe 390 285 - 65 40
3 V. Oshminskoe 461 283 - 58 120
4 Wed Kirmenskoe 660 387 - 243 30
5 M. Kirmenskoe 711 440 - 149 122
6 Malmyzhskoe 132 59 1 - 72
7 Kuyuk - Erykskoe 731 551 1 55 124
8 Dyusmetyevskoe 754 465 - 289 -
9 Omarskoe 14 12 2 - -
10 Sekineskoe 32 15 2 5 10
11 Urazbakhtinskoe 494 356 - 138 -
12 Yakinskoe 324 236 - 88 -
13 Kryashch-Pakshinskoe 294 151 5 75 63
14 Sokolskoe 11 11 - - -
15 Usalinskoe 1256 537 - 300 419
16 Albaevskoe 543 272 - 120 151
17 Katmyshskoe 786 384 1 401 -
18 Urmancheevskoe 91 75 - 10 6
19 N. Sunskoe 424 247 - 177 -
20 Sunskoe 1194 643 - 235 316
21 Shadchinskoe 437 219 - 154 62
22 N. Shanderskoe 411 257 - 148 6
23 Klyaushskoe 245 180 5 40 20
24 N. Takanyshskoe 301 218 - 83 -
25 Kem - Kul 678 345 - 183 150
26 Oluyazskoe 861 599 - 200 62
27 Tavelskoe 262 159 1 77 25
28 Ishkeevskoe 573 260 - 313 -
29 Otarskoe 54 36 1 - 17
30 Nikiforovskoe 415 202 - 38 175
31 Ragozinskoe 200 130 7 63 -
32 Shemyakovskoe 654 361 - 266 27
33 Digitlinskoe 123 68 - 55 -
Total: 14653 8548 26 4060 2026
This was information at the beginning of 2008. Now let's take general information sheep at the end of 2008 Total sheep - 14924. We see that over the year in the Mamadysh region increased by 271 heads of sheep. Namely: the number of rams - producers remained the same 26, ewes at the end of the year there were 8679, increased by 138 heads of sheep. Yarochki up to a year - 4126, increased by 66 heads of sheep. And there were 2093 rams, which increased by 67 heads of sheep.
We can conclude that keeping sheep in rural settlements is profitable, both for meat and wool. It turns out like two in one: food and clothing.
In the Mamadyshsky region, Karakul and Romanov sheep breeds are more common. Less often - Kuibyshev breeds.
2. 2. The number of sheep in the native village.
There are only 33 rural settlements in Mamadyshsky district, including 129 settlements. The Lower - Takanysh rural settlement includes 4 villages and 1 village. Namely: p. Lower Takanysh, village Sredny Takanysh, village Upper Takanysh, village Nizhnyaya Ucha and village Novaya Ucha. In total, 1642 people live in this settlement and have 546 personal subsidiary plots. 237 people live in the village of Nizhnyaya Ucha. There are 71 private subsidiary plots here. They contain 83 heads of sheep.
The village is small, beautiful and I really love to go there. I myself live in the city of Mamadysh, and spend all my holidays and weekends in the village next to my favorite animals. Since childhood, I have been helping my grandmother feed piglets, milk a cow, and drive sheep to pasture. And then I drink fresh milk with pleasure, eat delicious meat and wear warm woolen socks and mittens.
Conclusion.
Investigating the question of the sheep breeds existing in the world, I learned a lot of new, interesting and useful things, broadened my horizons. My mother helped me: we went to the library together, took photographs, chose the most basic things. Together they obtained information about rural settlements and general information about sheep in settlements. I achieved my goals: I discovered what kinds of sheep exist in the world, I found out how many sheep there are in the village where my grandmother lives. I was surprised to learn about the fat-tailed sheep. It turns out that special carts or sleds were made for their fat tail so that its skin would not peel off the ground. And it was also interesting to know that in addition to simple, primitive breeds, there are many funny, bizarre breeds of sheep.
And now I know for sure that when I grow up, I will definitely have my own subsidiary farm and there will be many sheep of the Romanov breed.
Sheep are a domesticated form of wild mountain ram. Their ancestor is the only species - the mouflon, other types of mountain sheep have never been tamed. V broad sense the word sheep is used to refer to domesticated rams in general, in a narrow sense it is used only to refer to females. Accordingly, males in household called rams in the same way as wild ancestors.
Grazing in the highlands of Scotland, these domesticated sheep are very similar to their wild ancestors.
The domestication of sheep came a little later than the domestication of goats. This happened about 6-7 thousand years ago. The center of domestication was Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Iran. Initially, sheep were tamed and bred in the mountains and foothills, but they turned out to be very plastic (changeable) and quickly mastered new climatic conditions... These animals tolerated drought especially well, so they soon spread across the deserts and steppes of Asia. Together with goats, they became very popular in the Mediterranean, where they were the most mass appearance livestock. From here the sheep fell into Western Europe and again gained universal popularity here. In the Middle Ages, so many sheep were raised that this was reflected not only in the economies of countries, but also in their culture. England became a recognized center of breeding, together with the English colonists, sheep were brought to the USA, the country South America, Australia and New Zealand... Everywhere they meet in large quantities, but the latter two countries have become the new world center for sheep breeding. Australia now contains the world's largest livestock of these animals.
A herd of merino in the pasture.
What was the reason for such a general love of man for these animals? First, it is unpretentious. As the inhabitants of the mountains, sheep are accustomed to eating scanty food and are completely undemanding to feed. They eat more than 500 types of herbs, and in addition, they can eat leaves, branches of shrubs, thorny and bitter plants. They need relatively little water to digest their food, and they use it very efficiently. The special structure of the teeth and jaw allows the sheep to cut the stems to the very root, so they literally gnaw pastures to the ground. Sheep graze with pleasure and benefit for themselves on plots grazed by cows and horses. But after them, other animals in the pasture have nothing to do. Secondly, sheep are very healthy and hardy animals. Physiological diseases are rare for them, and they tolerate long transitions perfectly. Sheep do not require special attention, easily controlled, not aggressive, compact. In addition, they are not afraid of cold weather. In most cases, special premises are not even needed for their maintenance: in warm countries, sheep are in pastures around the clock and all year round, in countries with moderately cold winters, a shed or an uninsulated barn is enough for them. However, there are areas in the world where there are very few sheep. These are humid tropical areas. Fear of dampness is perhaps the only drawback that limits their distribution.
In winter, sheep get food from under the snow. The dense wool not only protects them from blizzards, but in some cases can even be waterproof to rain.
The behavior of these animals is very specific. Sheep are considered stupid, timid and stubborn, and this is the rare case where prejudice is largely justified. Indeed, in comparison with other domestic animals, sheep are inconsiderate, incurious, and psychologically non-contact. An attempt to achieve mutual understanding from them is doomed to failure. While grazing, they are not interested in what is happening around them, paying attention only to the behavior of their comrades. If dogs, cats, horses adjust their behavior to the specific conditions and requirements of a person, then sheep invariably use several simple reflexes, which are worth a lot of work to change. In a new environment, they learn slowly, it takes them a long time to change their habits. No wonder they say, "looks like a ram at a new gate." Interestingly, the brain of domestic sheep is smaller than that of their wild ancestors, and mountain rams in natural environment behave much more actively. People perceive the sheep's inability to quickly adapt to the new environment as stubbornness.
The lambs kneel down to suck the milk.
However, the stupidity of the sheep is exaggerated and misinterpreted. The fact is that they have a highly developed herd instinct, much stronger than that of their wild ancestors. Moreover, the psychological comfort of sheep is directly proportional to the size of their group. If the majority of animals, even herd ones, do not tolerate overcrowding, then sheep in huge groups feel great, in small ones they feel good, and alone they feel bad. To some extent, their brothers can be replaced by other animals (there is a case when a lonely sheep made friends with ducklings), but if the animal is completely isolated, then it will be under severe stress. In this regard, the sheep do their best to stay closer to each other. It is this hypertrophied herd that is the cause of the notorious sheep's stupidity. To understand how strongly the instinct to follow fellows replaces logic for sheep, it is enough to give such an example. When a large flock of sheep is herded into the sheepfold, the animals in front pass through the gate and rest against the fence of the corral. Under the onslaught of those coming from behind, they turn around and walk along the fence, they continue this maneuver until all members of the group enter the corral. At this moment, those who entered the first run into the tail of the latter and ... seeing their fellows, they begin to follow them! Thus, the herd closes in a ring and begins a circular movement. Sheep follow each other, regardless of where they are, experienced shepherds know that such a walk can last for several hours until exhaustion. To stop it, the shepherds have to enter the corral and push the sheep aside so that they stop their orderly movement.
Sheep walk along the pasture, stretching out in a chain: each subsequent one is guided by the one who follows in front.
The cowardice of sheep is also well known. Unlike other domestic animals, they do not attempt to defend themselves, they never even intercede for their offspring. In general, these animals are very sensitive to loud sounds, they are afraid of the dark and confined spaces. But all these shortcomings of behavior are at the same time their advantages. One shepherd can cope with the thousandth flock of sheep, he just needs to control the leading animal. In some cases, the sheep can be safely left unattended. To do this, only one ram is tied, and the rest of the herd remain next to him and do not leave, despite the freedom of movement. For all the difficulties of training, sheep learn several commands, remember the shepherds and treat them with confidence bordering on self-sacrifice. Therefore, for a long time, the sheep served as a symbol of meekness, complaisance, kindness. It is the sheep, not the more intelligent and mischievous goat, that the Bible identifies with righteousness. The image of flocks of sheep became a common cliche in poetry and painting of the Middle Ages. Troubadours and poets glorified the peaceful shepherd's life surrounded by sheep as the ideal of harmony in life, this style in art is called pastoral.
Black-headed sheep in the moorlands of Scotland.
