Kuibyshev sheep and sheep: description and characteristics of the breed
Breeding sheep can have two goals - getting meat or wool. However, from the economic point of view, those breeds that combine both of these directions are of the greatest interest. This category belongs to the well-known Russian breeders and deserving more than one enthusiastic review of the Kuibyshev sheep, which will be discussed below.
Kuibyshev sheep
The Kuibyshev breed is quite widespread on the domestic market and is a classic example of the successful combination of the highest quality meat and no less valuable wool in one animal, which is in great demand in light industry as a raw material for the production of good and, by the way, quite expensive knitwear.
Breed history
The breed got its name thanks to the place, or rather, the area where it was bred. The breeders of the Koshkinsky State Pedigree Station in Orlovka, Kuibyshev Region, began to breed a new breed of sheep in the mid 30s of the last century. A special contribution to this work was made by livestock specialists A. Vasiliev, V. Vatagin, D. Nekrasov and others.
At the first stage, scientists crossed three lines:
- local breed - Cherkasy meat-wool sheep, characterized by coarse, but rather uniform coat;
- Aboriginal Vagas sheep classified as semi-fine-crowned (female line);
- long-haired Kent meat-wool breed, known as the Romney march (bred in the 13th century in the UK, officially registered in 1985).
During the Second World War, breeding was interrupted, but subsequently resumed. The offspring received as a result of crossing sheep of Cherkasy and English origin was carefully selected for participation in further breeding work, until finally in 1948 the final formation of a new domestic breed was announced. The experience turned out to be so successful that after another 10 years the Koshkinsky pedigree station was transformed into a pedigree farm specializing in its breeding.
Did you know? The most expensive breed of sheep in the world are the lop-eared dolans bred in China. In the world today there are no more than two thousand copies of these animals, and the price of each of them exceeds $ 2 million.
The main characteristics of the breed
The Kuibyshev breed is a classic example of a semi-fine-wool type of sheep with a long, semi-coarse and uniform pile, inherited by an animal from their English ancestor. At the same time, the meat indicator is no less interesting.
Appearance and specifications
The breed is distinguished by a strong and powerful skeleton, as well as an elongated, barrel-like body with a wide straight back, flat head, small but strong neck and short muscular legs, ending with sharp, neat hooves. Like representatives of both parental lines, the Kuibyshev sheep belong to the hornless (without horns).
The coat is dense, rather thick, long, according to the standard from 12 to 15 cm, with large curls, has a uniform shiny structure and covers the entire body, head to the eyes and legs to the hock (carpal) joints. Because of this, the animal looks like a single skein of wool, decorated with a pretty muzzle. The main color of the coat and hair is white, but darker areas are allowed in the area of the legs and ears. The structure of the wool is staple or staple-braid.
Video: Kuibyshev breed of sheep
Performance
Description of the breed of farm animals will be incomplete without an assessment of its productivity. Since Kuibyshev sheep have a mixed use, this indicator should be considered both in terms of wool and meat. At the same time, it must be said that in both of these areas the indicators of the Kuibyshev sheep are considered as very high.
With regard to wool, the breed is characterized by the following indicators:
Cut, kg: | ||
males at the age of 12 months | 2.3–2.5 | |
females aged 12 months | 1.7-1.9 | |
adult males | 3.4–3.8 | |
adult females | 1.7–2.4 | |
The yield of pure wool, % | 55–65 | |
The length of the cross section of the fiber (fineness), microns: | ||
males 4 months old | 27–34 | |
females 4 months old | 25–31 | |
males at the age of 12 months | 27–34 | |
females aged 12 months | 27–31 | |
adult males | 29–37 | |
adult females | 27–34 | |
Fine quality: | ||
males 4 months old | 5 | |
females 4 months old | 4, 5 | |
males at the age of 12 months | 13 | |
females aged 12 months | 12 | |
adult males | 12 | |
adult females | eleven |
Disease name | Description and symptoms | First aid and treatment, prevention |
Bradzot | Bacterial gastric infection. Causes convulsions, excessive salivation, loss of coordination, gnashing of teeth. | There is no effective drug treatment; vaccination is an adequate measure of counteracting the disease. |
Footrot | Infectious disease caused by damp litter. It manifests itself as purulent inflammation in the hoof area. | Antibiotics (oxytetracycline) and local disinfectants (formalin), combined with quarantine and thorough sanitary treatment of the room. |
Contagious ecthyma | Viral infection. Typical symptoms are ulcers and ulcers on the mucous membranes, udder, and other areas of the skin. | There is no specific treatment. To help the animal, antiseptics are used - iodine, a solution of potassium permanganate, etc. |
Infectious mastitis | Infection of a bacterial nature, affecting the udder of lactating females. Causes local purulent inflammation, fever, rapid breathing. | Antibiotics and sulfonamides, disinfection of premises. |
Listeriosis | Bacterial infection, often fatal. Causes convulsions, paralysis, loss of coordination, disorders of the musculoskeletal system. | An effective treatment has not yet been found. |
Smallpox | Viral infection causing a rash, purulent discharge from the nose and eyes, fever, rapid breathing. | There is no effective treatment, but vaccination is possible. |
Tick-borne encephalitis | Tick-borne viral infection affecting the nervous system. | There is no treatment, but with strong immunity, an independent recovery is possible. |
Echinococcosis | A bacterial infection that causes serious intestinal upsets. | Medication exists, but is too expensive, so it is not used for livestock. Sick individuals should be isolated from the rest of the herd to stop the infection. |
Breeding range
The Kuibyshev sheep breed is specially bred for the harsh temperate climate, characterized by cold winters and hot summers. The main population of these animals today is concentrated in the homeland - in the Samara region, as well as in the adjacent territories of the Middle Volga economic region of the Russian Federation - the Penza and Ulyanovsk regions, Tatarstan, Mordovia.
Did you know? The largest sheep in the world belongs to the Suffolk breed, weighs 247 kg and has a height of 109 cm at the withers. A three-year-old ram named Stratford Wisper, belonging to a couple of Oregon farmers Schalberger, boasts such dimensions.
Among all the semi-fine-wooled sheep breeds raised in Russia, the Kuibyshev breed is fourth in terms of numbers, although over the past 40 years the total number of these animals has decreased significantly.
Several enterprises are professionally involved in breeding breeds in Russia. In addition to the Druzhba breeding factory (the former Koshkinsky pedigree station where the Kuibyshev sheep were bred), they also include Zorinskoye Joint-Stock Company (Saratov Region) and Aleksandrovsky Stud Farm No. 12 (Kursk Region).
Here, scientists are trying to improve the genetic stability of the Kuibyshev sheep, increase their early maturity, and obtain animals with a more uniform coat and even better taste characteristics of meat.
You may be interested to get acquainted with the features of the Karakul sheep breed. Kuibyshev sheep are hardy and unpretentious animals, and the productivity indicators of the breed make its breeding a very profitable activity. Moreover, this applies to both small private farms and professional livestock enterprises. However, a novice farmer should remember that any breed of livestock requires proper care from the owner. Only under this condition can we count on the output of finished products that is stated in its description.
Reviews
Вот интересная особенность: "Куйбышевские овцы относятся к породам овец мясо-шерстной направленности. Опытные овцеводы предпочитают скрещивать их между собой лишь до второго поколения, а дальше разбавляют с другими породами, поскольку часто дальше теряются сильные стороны породы." Алексей 2 //fermer.ru/comment/1075554501#comment-1075554501