Georgian breeds of sheep: names and characteristics, which one is better to choose
There is an intensive development of sheep breeding in the world, which is not surprising. The industry's products are diverse: dairy and meat products, wool. For breeding Georgian popular breeds of sheep, a distant-pasture system and a stationary or semi-stationary system are used. To increase breed productivity, zoning schemes are used, and the state of pastures is improved.
Georgian sheep breeds
Preserve the purity of Georgian sheep breeds, avoiding their crossbreeding with other breeds - this is the way of breeding small ruminants chosen by the government of Georgia. Three breeds are popular with farmers: Imeretinskaya, Tushino and fine-fleece fat-tailed.Official Tbilisi plans to adhere to the developed veterinary standards, as Georgian breeds show good productive qualities.
For a long time, Georgian breeders have been working on breeding sheep breeds adapted to difficult growing conditions. Animals are accustomed to mountain pasture maintenance, poor grazing.
Cattle also withstand long hauls well, since winter pastures are located in the semi-desert steppe zone, and summer pastures are in the subalpine mountain belts (approximate height - 1.8-3.1 km above sea level).
Which is better to choose?
When choosing, you need to take into account several factors: productivity, content features. Each breed has both pluses and minuses, which are reflected in the table.
| Breed name | Distinctive qualities | Pros | Cons |
| Fine-haired fat-tailed | rams gain weight up to 119 kg, and uterus - up to 96 kg.Features of the exterior: strong bones, well-developed muscles forms a body with wide withers and chest. The limbs are strong and well set. White wool grows 8-12 cm long, 60-64 fineness, is used to make lint-free smooth material | develops well in mountain conditions, has stable immunity, the yield of pure wool is 47-54%. | low clipping, thickness six is not even enough, low live weight compared to other breeds |
| Tushinskaya | cattle is gaining a small mass: rams weigh 65-70 kg, queens - 35-45. Thanks to the strong bones, animals easily overcome long hauls. Shiny elastic wool grows 12-25 cm long, used to create carpets, fleece. Milk is processed into a variety of dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese, cheese) | hardiness, year-round grazing, high-quality meat from young animals has no characteristic odor | low fecundity, suitable for breeding in mountainous areas 48-55 cm, gain weight 22-36 kg, queens weigh 20-29 kg.Body features: high strong legs, small torso, short neck. Thick white wool grows 12-16 cm long, has a silky sheen and is suitable for making cloth, handmade felt products |
The listed breeds are the most popular. In the conditions of small farms, small cattle of other breeds are bred: southern beef, Georgian.
Content Features
The relief of Georgia is very diverse. Based on the characteristics of the area, the rules for keeping small cattle are formed.In the mountainous areas, they are engaged in distant pasture breeding, mainly of the Tushino sheep. In Georgia, this is the main way of keeping small cattle. Animals are driven to mountain pastures in spring, and to lowland pastures in autumn.
The driving distance is 10-500 km. Cattle are unpretentious in feed, conditions of detention, adapted to the harsh highlands.
In the conditions of stationary and semi-stationary sheep breeding, fine-fleeced fat-tailed and Imeretian sheep are bred. Animals are kept in specially equipped rooms, divided into separate stalls. In good weather (summer and winter), sheep are kept in open areas. The transition from the winter diet to green (grazing on pastures) is carried out gradually.
When choosing the content, in addition to the breed, the climatic features of the area, the agricultural technology of the land plots are also taken into account. The conditions for growing and keeping livestock are important for increasing productivity.An increase in the yield of dairy, meat, wool products directly depends on compliance with the requirements for keeping individuals. You also need to adhere to the schedules of feeding and grazing, seasonal hauls.
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