Breeds of sheep of the meat direction: the most profitable and large

Many peoples have been breeding sheep for centuries, because it is an opportunity to get wool, meat and fat, milk. Special attention should be paid to lamb, which in many cuisines of the world is valued as well as pork and beef, and sometimes plays a more important role in national cuisine.

In order to obtain the maximum amount of valuable product, sheep of meat breeds should be raised, which is a more rational and profitable solution.

General characteristics and differences of meat breeds of sheep

Meat species are bred mainly for meat products, they are usually divided into:

  • meat-sebaceous (fat tail) group — can be found mainly in Asian states;
  • meat-wool group - breeding is popular in Russia.

A sheep of meat breed at birth has a standard weight, which by four months of age can reach half the weight of an adult, which ranges from 40-60 kg. They are rapidly gaining mass with an average gain of 300 g / month. The one-year-old lamb has a weight of almost 90% by weight of an adult.

Each such species has its own characteristics, but all of them are united by such characteristics:

  • dense body structure and large size of individuals, with well-shaped muscles;
  • thin skin covering fatty tissue, the thickness of which can change every season;
  • individuals can produce offspring at a fairly early age, replenishment can often be born;
  • the meat industry has high productivity;
  • unpretentious in care, under appropriate weather conditions they can be in the pasture year-round;
  • have high endurance;
  • the bone skeleton is quite elegant, the bones are thin;
  • Strong immunity is observed in most animals, in particular against helminths.

Did you know? Due to its massive nature, rams of meat breeds can repel predators who have decided to hunt them. That is why cattle do not need protection.

The diet mainly consists of green feeds, and if necessary, animals are fed compound feeds for more intensive weight gain. They feed on their own during grazing, can move long distances, which does not affect weight loss or fertility.

A variety of breeds allows you to make a choice in favor of a particular species, taking into account the needs of the farmer, grazing conditions and maintenance.

Advantages and disadvantages

  • The features of this cattle include the following positive qualities:
  • high-quality meat with a small fat layer;
  • sheep can graze year-round in the open air;
  • most tolerate temperature fluctuations and adapt to both cold weather and summer heat;
  • meat-greasy sheep are able to accumulate fat deposits, even with poor nutrition;
  • sheep and rams are unpretentious to feed, independently provide themselves with grass during grazing;
  • the endurance of animals of meat species allows them to make long transitions in search of new places for grazing;
  • offspring is often numerous and occurs regularly;
  • minimum mortality rate among lambs.

The disadvantages of some breeds include the need to create dry and warm shepherds, provided that sheep are grazed in the northern regions with a significant decrease in temperature in the winter.

Domestic breeds of meat

Sheep breeding in the vast territories of Russia is well developed and has a long history. So, at the moment, the most widespread are breeds such as Romanovskaya, whose popularity has historical roots, as well as those bred in Soviet times - Kuibyshevskaya, North Caucasian, Gorkovskaya.

Romanovskaya

The history of this species begins about 2 centuries ago. Since then, the popularity of sheep has not faded away due to its high productivity. The breed is characterized by high fecundity, while the average in young sheep who brought the first offspring can reach 300%. During the first two years, sheep can produce 3 offspring, each of which can have up to 5 goals.

Lambs are rapidly gaining weight and can reach a weight of 30–35 kg at six months of age. Adult males can weigh 100 kg, and females about 50 kg. The output of meat products reaches 60–70%. The description of the breed should begin with its features, which include the humpback profile of the head and hayfoot, which means that at the birth of these representatives of cattle, horns are absent. Romanovsk sheep have a large skeleton. They adapt well to various climatic changes and conditions, are unpretentious.

Grazing can occur both in flat areas and in mountainous areas. Besides the fact that Romanovskaya is a popular meat breed, these sheep give large milk yields, which is very beneficial for their maintenance and breeding. The wool of these animals has a rather rough structure, so it can be used for the manufacture of outerwear and shoes.

Video: Sheep Romanov breed

Kuibishevskaya

The rams are bred from crossing the English Romney March with local representatives. Characteristics of cattle of the Kuibyshev breed are in early maturity and fertility. The heads of animals are hornless, the tail has a small length. Their body is slightly elongated, the body structure is strong, the sacrum and lumbar are wide, strong limbs.

Sheep can gain an average weight of 100–150 kg, and sheep - 70–90 kg. At the age of 4 months, the lambs of the Kuibyshev breed weigh 30 kg. The keeping of sheep occurs by year-round grazing. Slaughter of animals begins at the age of one.

Katumskaya smooth-haired

This species is the result of breeding Romanovsk sheep with the American smooth-haired breed of Catadine. Sheeps of the Katumsky species, on average, drag out 110 kg, while sheep - 80 kg. In this breed, wool does not grow, but the hairline increases in length. With the advent of coolness, the undercoat begins to increase, and with warming it rolls out.

Sheeps are fawn, all kinds of tones of red color. Katumsky sheep are very fertile, the offspring is 220%, and very tenacious. Their productivity has been maintained for many years. The taste of the product depends on the age of the animal - so the meat of a young lamb has a more delicate texture, mild taste, does not have a specific smell.

Gorkovskaya

This breed was bred when crossing thoroughbred Hampshire and ordinary domestic sheep. As a result, animals have short and coarse hair. Productivity is high, fertility is 140%. Adult rams gain 110 kg of weight, sheep - 80 kg, and young lambs weighing 30 kg at the age of 4 months, given the fact that their birth weight is 3-5 kg. The skeleton of sheep is light, muscle mass is growing rapidly.

From Gorky sheep you can get almost 60% of the meat benefits. They are unpretentious, have good immunity, have endurance, which makes them even more attractive. Walking is recommended on flat terrain.

North Caucasian

The breed is based on the Stavropol sheep, which were crossed with Romney Marsh and Lincoln, which made it possible to obtain cattle adapted for grazing in southern Russia and the north of the Caucasus. Breeding North Caucasian sheep is a profitable business, as they receive not only food, but also fleece from them.

The rams have a fleshy skeleton, a powerful sternum, a large volume of hips, a wide back and lower back, sacrum. They have a fleshy and short neck, impressive withers. The mass of the male can reach 120 kg, and the sheep - half as much. Control weighing at the age of 4 months on average shows a result of 33 kg.

Did you know? During grazing, sheep are always in the herd and rarely disperse to the sides due to their innate self-preservation instincts. They cannot exist separately from the herd, because then they begin to develop a sense of anxiety, which will only increase over time, which can significantly affect the performance of sheep.

West Siberian

This is a fairly young breed, they began to develop it a little more than 20 years ago, in the late 90s. Obtaining is due to the crossing of the Kulundinsky species with sheep of meat and wool type of the southern latitudes. In the final version, West Siberian was registered in 2010.

The individuals of this breed can tolerate the harsh Siberian climate, with prolonged content in the stall in cold weather conditions, which is a unique phenomenon. They possess a semi-thin rune. The carcass yield has a very high rate, reaching 52%. Sheeps reach a weight of 100 kg, and ewes - 60–63 kg.

Foreign breeds

Many European countries, such as France and England, as well as African countries that used to be colonies of these states, have centuries-old traditions of breeding and breeding of meat breeds, which have amazing results in meat production and productivity.

Texel

Texel - Dutch sheep whose breeding began in the 18th century. Lamb is characterized by:

  • marbling;
  • mild and delicate taste;
  • lack of a specific smell;
  • meat does not have a taste of fat;
  • is cooking fast.

Lambs at birth have a mass of 7 kg, by the age of four months they gain 60 kg, and by 9 months they can already weigh 100 kg. Adult rams weigh 130 kg, sheep - an average of 120-125 kg. The height at the withers of a ram reaches 63–83 cm, that of an adult sheep is 58–75 cm. Sheep are multiple, have high milk production. Fertility is in the range of 140–230%.

Females can feed 2 lambs without additional nutrition. The breed is unpretentious in the care and cultivation, cattle have high immunity and endurance. It is recommended that animals be raised in open pastures. They can be grazed together with other animals. Wool - semi-thin, has a yield of 70%.

Important! Texel is popular among farmers due to the lack of a characteristic smell of "lamb" and greasy taste. The slaughter weight of representatives of this breed is impressive, since they have a large number of muscle tissue.

Prekos

Prekos was obtained by crossing Leister and Ramboulier breeds, the German Merino is an analog of this breed. The French breed of meat sheep is characterized by the fact that its representatives have a barrel-shaped body with massive hips. Sheep and rams are rapidly gaining weight.

Prekos is fertile. They are unpretentious and have good immunity.

At birth, Prekos lambs weigh 5 kg, and by the age of 4 months they gain weight up to 35 kg. The weight of an adult ram is 130 kg, while a sheep can have a mass of 60–65 kg. Been slaughtered from a year old. Resistance to diseases of these sheep is quite high, they are unpretentious in the process of growing.

Barbados Black-bellied

This is a breed of medium-sized meat sheep, which has spread on the island of the same name in the Caribbean. Sheep have a maximum weight of 90 kg, sheep - 60 kg, with an average of 45 kg for sheep and 35 kg for females.

A feature of animals can be called their appearance:

  • dark red coat color with black spots in the abdomen. In rams, a mane grows on the neck and in the chest area;
  • have a short tail;
  • wool reaches a length of 2-3 cm;
  • hornless at birth.

If Barbados cattle are bred in a cold climate, the undercoat grows in individuals in winter, which sheds in the spring. Fertility ranges from 145–230%. The meat does not contain lanolin, is a dietary product. The output of meat products is 53%.

Wiltshire horned

These are British oversized sheep. A feature of the Wiltshire horn breed is the presence of horns in both sexes. Adults weigh:

  • rams - 100-140 kg;
  • sheep - 70–90 kg.

The first year is characterized by fertility of 110–130%, and then it increases to 140–180%. The yield at slaughter is 50–55%.

Dorper

This is a breed from South Africa, a feature of which is the lack of hair in animals, so it has only a meat direction. The rune of the representatives grows unevenly, it is very short in length, so they are referred to as hairless. The meat is characterized by delicate and pleasant taste characteristics: it is non-greasy, has no specific smell and taste.

Sheep can reach 140 kg, sheep - a maximum of 95 kg, given that the weight of the lambs at birth is 5.5 kg, and by the age of four months it reaches 65 kg. Dorper is early, they bring 1 lamb in the first lamb, and then have multiple offspring up to 2-3 goals. An adult ewe can have 2 offspring annually. They are unpretentious in nutrition, can graze on pastures with low fertility and low quality grass, tolerate temperature fluctuations well.

Zwartbles

The meat of this Dutch breed is highly appreciated for:

  • taste with a light, sweet touch;
  • pleasant, mild aroma;
  • lean meat.

Zwartbles have a thick coat, which allows animals to tolerate weather and temperature fluctuations well. They are hardy. Fertility of breeding ewes is at the level of 235%.

If there are a lot of lambs in their litter, then their birth weight can be about 2.5–3 kg, and if the offspring has fewer goals, the mass of newborns ranges from 5–5.5 kg. By the age of 4 months, they already weigh 45 kg. Adult Zwartbles rams have a mass of 130 kg, sheep - 100 kg. At the withers, the ram grows to 85–95 cm, while it is bright - 75–82 cm.

Meat breeds of neighboring countries

The neighboring countries, where sheep husbandry is well developed, include the countries of Central Asia. Here, in contrast to European countries, the meat-tallow direction, fat tail sheep is popular, since the use of lamb fat in the cooking process can be called popular. So at Gissarskaya - one can note the receipt of up to 23 kg of fat from the entire animal mass, as well as up to 8 kg of fat tail fat.

Sarajinskaya

The backbone of these fat-tailed animals is powerful, muscle mass of medium quality. The average ram has a mass of 90 kg, a sheep - 60 kg. Sarajinski - have a white color with darker areas on the head and hooves, their wool fibers are characterized by shine.

The breed is a source of coarse wool and sheep lint. Shear them at least 2 times a year, as animals intensively overgrow.

Tajik

Tajik rams are impressive in size, can weigh up to 160 kg, sheep weigh 120 kg, and four-month-old individuals weigh 45 kg.

A feature of the breed is a large supply of fat tail fat and excellent quality wool.

Gissar

Gissar sheep and rams can be found in Central Asia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. These animals have a powerful physique, strong skeleton, but at the same time long and dry limbs. The hunchbacked head is on a short neck. They are hardy and can travel long distances up to 500 km, which does not affect weight loss and weight gain continues.

Gissar ewes and rams belong to the meat-greasy type. With a total ram mass of about 140 kg, the fat yield is 45 kg. Female individuals may have a mass of about 80 kg. Animals have a pronounced kurdyuk. The maximum weight of this breed beat records at around 190 kg among sheep and 120 kg in the sheep category.

In addition to meat and fat, sheep bring good milk yield, about 130 kg in 2 months. Lambs on a choke can gain up to 50 kg. Gissar sheep have strong immunity and endurance. Ewes have low fecundity.

In the wool of Hissar cattle is a natural antiseptic lanolin. The coat of the representatives of this breed is very coarse, with a lot of dead hair, so these sheep are not bred to get wool.

Important! Fat tail breeds are very much appreciated mainly in the countries of the Caucasus and Asia, where fat tail fat is traditionally used for cooking and in traditional medicine.

Edilbaevskaya

Edilbayevsky cattle can be found more often in Kazakhstan, where it was bred in the 19th century. Representatives of the breed are favorably distinguished by the ability to be highly productive in harsh climatic conditions with sharp temperature fluctuations. They are intended for grazing, their food can be scarce, they are unpretentious in care.

Adult rams have an average weight of 100–120 kg, ewes - 65–70 kg, although sometimes females can reach more impressive sizes and weigh like rams. Lambs grow and gain weight very quickly.

Jaidara

This breed is often called the best among fat tail, as the weight of fat in fat tail can approach a mark of 15 kg with a mass of sheep of 110 kg and sheep of 60 kg. Jaidar breed is not bred for wool, it is used to obtain large quantities of meat, milk, as well as to obtain high-quality skins.

This breed has good resistance to diseases, they are hardy and can travel long distances in search of pasture, while neither their performance nor weight gain is affected.

Kalmyk

This breed was bred as a result of the appearance on the territory of Russia in the 17th century of sheep from Mongolia and Western China. They assimilated with representatives of fat tail breeds, and now the Kalmyk sheep are very large. Внешне их можно отличить по высоким и стройным ногам, которые придают изящества животным, и крупному корпусу с устойчивым костяком.

Шерстяной покров грубый и жёсткий, белого или светло-рыжего окраса. Хвостовая часть корпуса выглядит как жировая подушка. Запас жира находится также в задних конечностях, в области от поясницы до скакательного сустава.

Рога имеются не у всех баранов, однако всех представителей можно выделить по вислым ушам. Во время выпаса они едят верхние части растений, что позволяет сохранить целостность пастбищ. Масса взрослых особей может достигать 100 кг, при том что ягнята рождаются весом в 5 кг. Порода очень скороспелая. Курдючное сало очень питательно и полезно, также как и мясная продукция, которая отличается высоким качеством.

Content Features

Овцы и бараны мясных пород очень выгодны для разведения, поскольку они не требуют особого ухода.Животные не теряют вес во время таких длительных прогулок и стремительно набирают массу.

Большинство пород могут круглогодично содержаться на пастбищах, независимо от климатических изменений, поскольку хорошо приспосабливаются к температурным колебаниям, осадкам.

Скотина самостоятельно ищет себе корм во время выгула и может передвигаться на значительные расстояния в поисках подходящих трав, что не влияет на продуктивность. Ягнята стремительно набирают вес и уже к годовалому возрасту достигают массы взрослых особей. Низкие инвестиции в овцеводство позволяют получить значительную прибыль благодаря высокому выходу мяса при убое, высокой производительности молочной продукции овец, большому приросту потомства.

Interesting Articles