Description and characteristics of prekos sheep, conditions of maintenance and care
The prekos breed of sheep shows excellent productive qualities when meeting the requirements for maintenance, care and diet. Animals belong to the meat-wool type, are distinguished by high early maturity, disease resistance, unpretentiousness. Taken together, this makes sheep breeding profitable both for private households and for commercial breeding.
History of the breed
The meat-wool breed was bred in the second half of the 19th century simultaneously in France and Germany. The French species was named prekos (translated from French - "early"), the German variety was named merinofleish ("meat merino"). The genotype was formed by selection of French fine-wooled rambouille queens with English wool and meat producers of the Leister breed and German merino.
Pedigree animals were brought to Russia from Germany in the 20s of the XX century and after the Second World War. Steppe and forest-steppe zones with abundant pastures are suitable for breeding. In a hot, dry climate, with a lack of feed, animals lose productivity, their wool and meat quality decreases.
The nature and exterior of prekos sheep
Prekos sheep do not move away from the herd, they are sensitive to suspicious sounds and smells. The queens do not leave the lambs, they protect them from dangers.
Distinctive features of Prekos sheep:
- big-headed;
- short-necked;
- barrel-shaped bodies;
- subtle tails;
- strong, short legs;
- thick wool, 7-8 centimeters;
- light color (gray / white / milky / sand);
- 80% of rams are hornless.
The muzzle and legs are hairless, the tail is woolly.
Productivity indicators
Indicators of meat and wool breeds are determined by the amount of marketable mutton, shearing of unwashed wool and% of the yield of washed wool. The meat of 8-10 month old lambs has the best taste. With a monthly increase of 4-5 kilograms, they gain weight up to 40-50 kilograms. The maximum cut from a ram is 10 kilograms, from a sheep - 5 kilograms.
Characteristic of wool:
- staple fleece;
- the yield of washed wool - 50%;
- hair length - up to 8 centimeters;
- fineness of wool - 60 / 58-64;
- grease cream, 30%;
- tortuosity is normal.
A staple fleece is a coat consisting of tufts of wool of the same type, length and hair thickness. The staple structure of the rune has fine-fleece sheep.
Grease - secretions of the sebaceous and sweat glands, which protect the wool from felting, pollution, mechanical damage.The maximum percentage of grease is contained in the wool of fine-wool merino (40%). On average, 100 queens give birth to 140-150 lambs annually.
Pros and cons
In comparison with fine-wool breeds, the wool on the body of a sheep grows unevenly and differs in composition. On the belly, the length and density of the fur is less. The lower back is covered with coarse and coarse hair.
Conditions of detention and care
Sheepfolds for winter keeping are built in regions where the temperature drops below +5 degrees during the cold period. The room should correspond to the number of animals, including ewes with lambs. Each sheep is entitled to 1.5 square meters, for a queen with offspring - 3 square meters.
The height of the sheepfold depends on the number of flocks. With a large livestock, equipment is used (for example, a tractor), so the height should be at least 3.5 meters. When only people take care of it - up to 2.5 meters. The walls can be insulated or not, depending on the average winter temperatures.
The width of the doorway or gate must have a capacity of at least 3 animals. Sheep do not tolerate drafts well, so the door is arranged on the leeward side, taking into account the wind rose. There should be no gaps in the walls and roof.
The floor in the room must be firm, otherwise the sheep will have problems with the ligaments. If the floor is concrete, it should be covered with wooden shields. The tamped earthen floor is covered with straw mat, which is changed weekly.
Windows are located at a height of 1.5 meters from floor level. The size of the openings can be any. The total number of windows should provide good illumination indoors during the day. In the evening, artificial lighting is provided.
The feeders are positioned longitudinally. It can be one common feeder or individual ones. A sheep drinks up to 10 liters of water per day. Drinking bowls are placed along the wall. Automatic drinker is sufficient for 1 per 100 heads. It is necessary to have pens in the room for dividing the herd into queens with lambs, examining animals, and shearing. In warm regions, with year-round grazing, it is enough to have a corral with a rain canopy. Sheep are sheared in April-May and September-October.
Food for animals
In summer, the main food for sheep is grasses in the pasture and lick salt (10 grams per individual). In the evening, to improve digestion, give up to 2 kilograms of oats, raw chopped fruits and vegetables. In the autumn-winter period, the sheep ration consists of a mixture of hay and compound feed, succulent feed, and mineral supplements. Hay is the main feed. It is harvested at the rate of 2 kilograms per day per animal. In addition to herbs, hay should contain clover, peas. Wheat bran, silage, compound feed give 100-200 grams per head per day.
Succulent feed (carrots, cabbage, pumpkin and beets) is given once a day during the daytime feeding. To preserve a high-quality fleece, mineral additives are mixed with the compound feed (per 1 animal):
- sodium sulfate - 3 grams;
- sodium hyposulfite - 4 grams;
- sulfur - 1 gram.
When fattening young animals for rapid weight gain, the proportion of concentrated, high-calorie feed is increased. Access to fresh water should be constant, both in the pasture and in the sheepfold.
Breeding the breed
Prekos ewes enter puberty at 6 months. But at this age, mating is skipped so that weak offspring do not appear. Further reproduction can occur at any time of the year. The breeder ram guards the flock and covers the sheep that have come to the hunt.
From 100 queens receive up to 150 lambs per year. Lambing usually occurs in early spring. The uterus with a newborn lamb is placed in a nursery until it gets a little stronger. Lamb care is not required. The coat protects him from hypothermia, the uterus has enough milk to feed him. The sheep is a caring mother, does not abandon the lamb for one to six months. By one year, young animals gain 90% of their weight from adult animals. Young rams that come into conflict with the producer are removed from the herd or cut for meat.
Frequent illnesses
Prekos sheep are resistant to diseases affecting small livestock, such as:
- necrobacteriosis;
- pruritus;
- bradzot.
Animals may develop snot, which is a sign of worm infestation.
The popularity of the breed in Russia
Fertility, strong immunity, good quality wool and meat, adaptability to a temperate climate have made the breed precocious in demand in the Black Earth region and southern Russia. Prekos sheep are bred in Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, Belgorod regions, Krasnodar Territory.
