Meat breeds of sheep: the names of the best and their characteristics, the largest species

Table Of Contents

Features and signs of meat breeds
Domestic meat breeds
Foreign varieties
Breeds from near abroad
The biggest breed in the world
Which sheep to choose
Advantages and disadvantages of meat breeds
Subtleties of content

In the early 20th century, sheep were bred for wool and sheepskin. The meat of woolen breeds has a specific smell, therefore it is not in demand. But meat breed sheep from Great Britain and New Zealand do not have a smell. Through breeding, domestic species resistant to harsh climates were bred. They quickly reach sexual maturity and gain weight. The product for sale can be received already 6-8 months after the birth of the lamb.

Features and signs of meat breeds

Meat-producing sheep are large in build:

wide chest;
rounded sides;
strong legs;
relief muscles;
thin hide.

Meat 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. Meat varieties:

greasy or fat-tailed;
meat and dairy;
meat-wool;
smushkovye.

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

Domestic meat breeds

General characteristics of Russian varieties:

58 percent of carcass weight is meat for sale;
weight of lambs at 4 months - 20-40 kilograms;
often referred to mixed agricultural sectors.

Among domestic breeds, most belong to the meat and dairy and meat and wool industries.

Foreign varieties

Common features of breeds grown in foreign countries:

weight of adult animals - 65-130 kilograms;
weight of lambs at 4-5 months - 35-60 kilograms;
have an unusual exterior.

Popular foreign species for farm and private use:

Texel is a heavy breed known since the 19th century. The meat is juicy and tender, despite the unpretentiousness in nutrition;
prékos is a French variety of meat sheep. Juveniles reach the weight of adult females;
Barbados Blackbelly - an exotic polled variety has selectively bred American relatives with horns. Animals are distinguished by short hair and an unusual color - red sides with a black stripe on the stomach and hooves;
dorper - to breed the South African variety, greasy Persian and Dorset horned breeds were crossed. From the Persians, the Dorper inherited the black color on the head and neck. Their body is white;
Wiltshire horned - British sheep without thick wool. Their skin is covered with a hard pile, similar to horsehair. The heads of males are decorated with rounded horns bent down.

The Vendee-French breed, which is bred to produce marbled meat, belongs to the highly productive meat-wool species. The carcass consists of 80 percent pulp. One individual also gives up to five kilograms of wool per year.

Breeds from near abroad

Average weight of sheep in kilograms:

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

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

Main breeds of the near abroad:

Saraja - often white, rarely black. Sheep give fat and milk. Carpets are made from the wool of Saraja sheep;
Tajik - has thick long hair, which is valued for its strength;
Hissar - is distinguished by a heavy torso 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 - meat-greasy variety with coarse hair. Exterior feature - elongated body with short legs;
Kalmyk - valuable meat is obtained from young animals. The meat of mature individuals acquires a specific smell. The Kalmyk variety is hardy and can be pastured all year round.

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

The biggest breed in the world

Fat-tailed sheep, common in Central Asia, are large in size. For fat deposits in their body, a special bag is provided - fat tail. Animals survive with poor nutrition due to the reserves of substances deposited in the fat tail. The fat sac is located behind and reaches a weight of 30 kilograms.

The large breeds include the Gissar, Edilbaev and Kalmyk sheep. The largest variety is the suffolk. She is recognizable by the black hair on her legs and head. The coat on the body is white or golden.

Suffolk meat and wool sheep were bred in Britain in the 19th century. The weight of females is 100 kilograms, and males - 140-180. Animals are fertile, develop rapidly and gain weight. Suffolks are less prone to foot problems than other heavyweights.

Large, productive and prolific varieties - Romanov and Finnish Landrace. Romanovka sheep weigh 100 kilograms and bring 2-5 lambs per lamb. Finnish landraces weigh 85-100 kilograms and bring 3-4 lamb twice a year.

Which sheep to choose

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

Breed	Weight (kilograms)	Fecundity (percentage)
Hissar	80-140	120
Kuibyshevskaya	65-110	130
Prekos	70-120	150
Romanovskaya	65-110	270
North Caucasian	60-100	140
Edilbaevskaya	75-120	120

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.

Buy a purebred foreign sheep is often possible only in a foreign nursery. Shipping costs will be added to the purchase price. Animals will need time to adjust 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

Raising sheep for meat for own use and for sale is profitable due to the following advantages:

omnivore - herbivorous animals feed on fresh herbs, tuberous vegetables, cereals and legumes. In the absence of fresh feed, they eat silage, haylage and mixed fodder;
endurance - domestic and foreign breeds tolerate cold and heat well;
strong immunity - meat sheep are resistant to infectious and fungal diseases;
high productivity - they give milk, lard, wool in large volumes.

Meat-producing breeds can be pastured all year round. They have a high survival rate of young.

Flaws:

feeding adult animals to a record weight in a short time is impossible - in adulthood, weight gain decreases;
the meat of old individuals acquires a greasy mutton taste and smell.

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

Subtleties of content

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

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

Free grazing is preferable as the livestock is out in the open air eating natural forage. The meat of sheep kept on pastures is valued higher as an environmentally friendly product. But the herd needs to be monitored and carefully chosen grazing area.

Poisonous grasses are found on natural pastures. Safe places for grazing are the steppe, dry valley or foothills. Green mass in natural areas is spent by 60 percent. In order to increase consumption up to ninety percent and ensure the safety of animals, land is specially sown.

If there is no suitable area nearby, you need to equip a barn for sheep and keep the stalls clean. The diet of meat 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. Animals also need to drink plenty of water. Sheep with long thick wool are sheared 1-2 times a year and hooves are taken care of. When kept in a stall, they do not have time to wear out and also require pruning every 3 months.