Names and characteristics of the best and large meat breeds of sheep, breeding

In the early 20th century, sheep were raised for wool and sheepskin. Woolen meat has a specific smell, so it is not in demand. But beef sheep, native to the UK and New Zealand, do not smell. Through selection, domestic species were bred that are resistant to the harsh climate. They reach puberty quickly and gain weight. The product for sale can be obtained within 6-8 months after the birth of the lamb.

Features and signs of meat breeds

Meat-producing sheep are distinguished by their large constitution:

• wide chest;
• rounded sides;
• strong legs;
• relief muscles;
• thin skin.

Beef breeds have long and short hair. Horns are present in males, rare in females. Sheep are superior to sheep in weight, height and body length. Varieties of meat breeds:

• greasy or fat-tailed;
• meat and dairy;
• meat and wool;
• zmushkovy.

The main feature of animals is the rapid weight gain. At 4 months, lambs reach half the mass of an adult ram. Males weigh 110 kilograms. Sheep weighs 60 kg.

Domestic meat breeds

General characteristics of Russian varieties:

• 58 percent of the carcass weight is meat for sale;
• the weight of lambs at 4 months is 20-40 kilograms;
• often belong to mixed branches of agriculture.

Most of the domestic breeds belong to the meat and dairy and meat and wool industries.

Most Popular:

• Romanovskaya - the hornless variety has a humpback profile, high fertility. One female brings three lambs within two years. The weight of adult males is 100 kilograms, and that of females is 50 kilograms;
• Kuibyshevskaya is a variety adapted to the Russian climate with English roots. The body of the sheep is covered with thick wavy wool. Animals are resistant to high humidity and have strong immunity to fungal diseases;
• katumskaya - the short-haired hornless variety is gaining weight faster than other varieties. The meat is juicy;
• southern - bred by selection, has genes of the North Caucasian breed. 1-2 lambs appear in the offspring;
• Gorkovskaya - sheep with a barrel-shaped body and a short muzzle, in addition to meat, give a lot of milk. One female can get 150 liters per year;
• North Caucasian - the variety is distinguished by good fleshiness and valuable wool, adapted to life in a harsh climate. Horns in animals in embryonic form;
• West Siberian - appeared as a result of crossing of Kuban and Siberian sheep, productivity is 10% higher than that of other domestic breeds.

The varieties of meat sheep raised in Russia are resistant to temperature changes and produce juicy, odorless meat.

Foreign varieties

General features of breeds grown in foreign countries:

• the weight of adult animals is 65-130 kilograms;
• the weight of lambs at 4-5 months is 35-60 kilograms;
• are distinguished by an unusual exterior.

Popular foreign species for breeding on a farm and in a private household:

• texel Is a heavyweight breed known since the 19th century. The meat is juicy and tender, despite the unpretentiousness in nutrition;
• prekos - French variety of beef sheep. Juveniles reach the weight of adult females;
• Barbados black-bellied - exotic hornless variety has selectively bred American relatives with horns. The animals are distinguished by short hair and unusual color - red sides with a black stripe on the belly and hooves;
• dorper - to breed the South African variety, the greasy Persian and Dorset horned breeds were crossed. From the Persians, the Dorpers have inherited a black color on the head and neck. Their bodies are white;
• Wiltshire Horned - British sheep without thick wool. Their skin is covered with a coarse, horsehair-like pile. The heads of males are decorated with rounded horns bent down.

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The Vendée, a French breed that is bred to produce marbled meat, belongs to the highly productive meat and wool species. The carcass is 80 percent flesh. One individual also gives up to five kilograms of wool per year.

Breeds of the near abroad

Average weight of sheep in kilograms:

• males - 90-190;
• females - 75-120;
• lambs at 4 months - 40.

The species that are bred in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are meat and wool. But there are also hairless sheep.

The main breeds of the near abroad:

• Saradzhin - white color is often found, rarely black. Sheep provide lard and milk. Carpets are made from the wool of the Saraja sheep;
• Tajik - has thick long hair, which is appreciated for its durability;
• Hissar - it has a heavy body without hair and long thin legs. Low fertility is compensated by a large amount of milk in females;
• edilbaevskaya - bred in Kazakhstan, unpretentious in feeding. Lambs are ready for slaughter at 5 months;
• jaidara is a meaty-greasy variety with coarse hair. Exterior feature - elongated body on short legs;
• Kalmyk - valuable meat is obtained from young animals. Mature meat acquires a specific smell. The Kalmyk variety is hardy and can be on pasture all year round.

Central Asian species gain fat and gain weight even with poor nutrition.

The largest breed in the world

Fat-tail sheep, common in Central Asia, are large in size. A special bag is provided for fatty deposits in their body - a fat tail. Animals survive on a meager diet thanks to the reserves of substances deposited in the fat tail. The fat bag is at the back and weighs 30 kilograms.

Large breeds include the Gissar, Edilbaev and Kalmyk sheep. The largest variety is the Suffolk. It is recognizable due to the black hair on the legs and head. The coat on the body is white or golden.

Large, productive and prolific varieties are the Romanov and Finnish Landrace. Romanovka sheep weigh 100 kilograms and bring 2-5 lambs in one lamb. Finnish Landrace weights weigh 85-100 kilograms and bring 3-4 lamb twice a year.

Which sheep is better to choose

Meat breeds for industrial or domestic breeding are selected by weight and fertility of animals. The indicators of popular domestic and foreign species can be compared according to the following table:

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Experienced farmers call the Romanov breed versatile and easy to care for. The domestic variety is suitable for breeding for meat for personal use, as well as for milking. Romanov sheep are sold in local nurseries.

It is often possible to buy a purebred foreign sheep only in a foreign nursery. Shipping costs will be added to the purchase price. It will take time for the animals to adapt after a long journey.

Therefore, for personal needs, it is better to choose a domestic variety from a local nursery.

Advantages and disadvantages of meat breeds

Breeding sheep for meat for their own needs and for sale is profitable due to the following advantages:

• omnivorous - herbivores feed on fresh herbs, tuberous vegetables, cereals and legumes. In the absence of fresh forage, they eat silage, haylage and compound feed;
• endurance - domestic and foreign breeds tolerate cold and heat well;
• strong immunity - meat sheep are resistant to infectious and fungal diseases;
• high productivity - milk, lard, wool are produced in large quantities.

Meat-producing breeds can be kept on pasture all year round. They are distinguished by high survival rate of young animals.

Disadvantages:

• it is impossible to feed adult animals to a record weight in a short time - weight gain decreases in adulthood;
• the meat of old individuals acquires a greasy lamb taste and smell.

Experienced farmers do not fatten livestock older than ten months in order to use feed rationally and produce quality products.

Subtleties of content

Before buying, choose and prepare a place for the sheep. Small ruminants are kept in two ways:

• stall-pasture - animals spend most of their time in the barn and go for a walk in an open enclosure;
• pasture-stall - sheep live on a pasture in the open air, they enter the premises only in bad weather.

Free grazing is preferable, since the livestock is in the fresh air, fed on natural food. The meat of sheep kept on pastures is valued higher as an environmentally friendly product. But the herd must be monitored and carefully selected the area for grazing.

Poisonous herbs are found in natural pastures. Safe places for grazing are steppe, dry land or foothills. Green mass in natural areas is consumed by 60 percent. To increase the consumption up to ninety percent and ensure the safety of animals, land plots are specially sown.

If there is no suitable area nearby, you need to set up a barn for the sheep and keep the stalls clean. The diet of beef sheep consists of fresh grass or silage, cereal concentrates and vegetables. Cattle for slaughter are fattened up to six to ten months. Food troughs should always be full. Also, animals need plenty of drink. Sheep with long, thick wool are sheared 1-2 times a year and their hooves are taken care of. When kept in stalls, they do not have time to wear off and also require pruning every 3 months.