Hissar rams: breed description and characteristics, pros and cons

Hissar breed of rams and sheep comes from Asian countries. These animals are immediately recognized by the large fat tail in the tail part of the body. The Gissar meat and tallow breed is considered the champion in terms of weight and fat tail fat reserves. The body of the animals is covered with coarse wavy hair, which is a good protection against frost in winter. For the summer, the wool cover is cut off, thanks to which the rams do not faint from the heat and quickly recover.

Origin story

Hissar rams and sheep have been living in Central Asia for centuries. Animals were bred for meat and tail fat in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other Asian republics.The breed was created naturally. Over the centuries, individuals with the best performance have been selected for crossing. In the west of Tajikistan is the Hissar Valley, after which the animals are named.

This breed is called unique. Hissar sheep were bred in isolation, and their appearance was not affected by representatives of other varieties of rams. These animals are real record holders for the lethal yield of meat and tail fat. The live weight of the Hissar sheep is higher than that of the largest breed, the Lincoln.

For the first time fat-tailed animals began to be studied at the dawn of the USSR, that is, in 1927-1928. Under the leadership of the Moscow scientist Semyon Azarov, an expedition was sent to the republics of Central Asia to investigate the sheep breeding of this region. Zoologists have found out that the Hissar breed for many centuries grazed on high mountain pastures isolated from the outside world and did not mix with other types of sheep.

Description and characteristics of the breed

Hissar rams are considered the largest of the cultivated breeds of animals of this species. They have a coarse coat that keeps them warm in the winter. The breed is considered meat-greasy. Animals are bred for meat and tail fat. Their wool shear is negligible. The color of the Hissars is dark red or black. Wool is rough. In a year, she is cut only 1-1.6 kilograms. Low-quality animal wool is used only for making felt and coarse felt.

The main feature of the Hissar breed is its unique exterior. The height at the withers in rams reaches 85 cm. The females are slightly lower (75 cm). Adult rams weigh 130, and sometimes all 180 kg. The weight of females is 70-100 kilograms. The length of the torso is 75-85 cm. The circumference of the chest is on average 34-45 centimeters.

The animals have strong bones, a wide, rectangular body, well developed, raised, rounded fat tail in the back of the body.The body is densely covered with hair. The size of the fat tail in males reaches 50 cm, in females - 30-40 cm. Fat tail fat accumulates in this part of the body. When slaughtered, the mass of fat from fat tail is from 5 to 50 kilograms. In young animals fat tail fat is white, in old animals it is yellowish.

Depending on the size of the fat tail, Hissar sheep are divided into three groups: meat, meat-fat and fat-tailed. Animals vary in appearance. The size of the fat tail is the smallest in meat breeds. In the meat-fat type, this part of the body is pulled up to the level of the back. In fat-tailed sheep, the tail fat stands out strongly, because up to 60 kg of fat tail fat can accumulate in this storage. Hissar rams have an elongated, usually hornless head. Ears are of medium length, hanging down. The bridge of the nose is convex. There is no wool on the head and legs. The tail is missing.

The Hissar breed is perfectly adapted to the climate of Central Asia. In summer, animals are grazed on high mountain pastures, in winter they descend to the lowlands. Rams and sheep are able to travel long distances. They can stay on the pasture during the whole warm season. Animals recover quickly.

In the first 2 months of life, the increase in live weight is 500 grams per day. In six months, lambs weigh 30-40 kg. The carcass slaughter yield is 58-60 percent. A sheep weighing 128 kg gives 60 kg of meat and 23 kg of tail fat.

Females usually give birth to one lamb at a time. After lambing, they give 1.8-2.3 liters of milk per day. Until 3 months of age, lambs should be milk-fed. From the milk of females, you can make cheeses (for example, cheese).

Pros and cons

Pros and consversatility (bred for meat and tail fat);beautiful, truly hussar exterior;high rates of live weight;large lethal carcass yield;excellent quality of meat products;good immunity and acclimatization to the climate of the middle zone.low wool productivity;little fertility.

Features of maintenance and care

Hissar lambs can graze in the pasture all summer long. Animals gain weight well if they are in the fresh air all day long and eat plenty. In winter, rams and sheep need to be kept indoors. Animals have excellent immunity, they are not afraid of frost, but in winter the meadows are covered with snow. It is also not recommended to take Hissar sheep outside in the rain.

Indoors, you need to put a manger for hay, feeders for grain and drinkers for water.In the barn throughout the winter, the air temperature is maintained from 10 to 18 degrees Celsius. There should be a lot of light in the room. Animals eat mainly during the day. In the dark, they lose their appetite.

Windows are installed near the roof so that animals are not afraid of running dogs or people passing by.

The room where the sheep are kept should be dry, clean and warm. One animal should have 2.5-3 square meters. meters of area. Straw bedding is changed as it gets dirty, that is, daily. When kept in a stall, sheep are fed three times a day. Water is given twice a day, between feedings.

At 3 months of age, Hissar sheep are vaccinated to prevent them from contracting infectious diseases. Pets are given antiparasitic drugs once or twice a year. In the spring, before the hot summer months, sheep's wool is sheared. Wounds on the skin are treated with iodine or another antiseptic.

Diet

Hissars, like all ruminants, should eat foods rich in fiber. Such a diet starts the stomach and contributes to the normal functioning of the digestive system. In summer, the main food of rams is grass. Animals quickly recover on leguminous and cereal vegetation.

In winter, Hissar lambs should be given hay or straw of cereals. Sheep are well corrected on boiled potatoes (no more than 200 grams per day). As a top dressing, animals are given up to 300 grams of a grain mixture (barley, corn, oats). In winter, sheep can be fed with sunflower meal and cake. The main source of vitamins in the cold season is vegetables and fruits. Sheep can be fed finely chopped beets, carrots, pumpkins. To replenish the reserves of vitamins, sheep are given spruce and pine branches, pharmacy vitamin preparations. S alt should always be in the feeder.

Breeding

Hissar rams reach sexual maturity at 7-8 months. Covering females is recommended later. Usually lambs are mated at 12-18 months. If there is no breeding ram, then artificial insemination is carried out. Pregnancy in females lasts 150 days. After 5 months, one, less often two lambs are born. Childbirth in a female lasts 30-60 minutes. Lambs are born on their own, without the help of people. The female gnaws the umbilical cord and licks the cub. The person may be present at the birth. In this case, he needs to cut the umbilical cord and clear the nostrils of the newborn from mucus. The afterbirth comes out on its own after 1-3 hours.

Immediately after birth, lambs should feed on their mother's milk. Under the female milk-fed animals should be up to 3 months of age. Then they are gradually transferred to plant foods.

What causes Hissar sheep to get sick

This breed has excellent immunity. In their homeland, on high mountain pastures, the Hissars almost do not get sick. Sheep simply do not come into contact with other animals, including infectious ones.

In farms, ideal conditions for growing the Hissar breed cannot be created. Sheep can become infected from other animals, through grain, hay, grass in the meadow. At the age of 3 months, they are recommended to be vaccinated against the most dangerous infectious diseases that cause the death of the herd (foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, smallpox, brucellosis). Twice a year, rams are given antiparasitic prophylaxis.

Prospects for breeding

Hissar rams and sheep are bred in the republics of Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan). There are small herds of these animals in many regions of Russia. Hissars are also grown in Ukraine. This productive meat and tallow breed is mainly bred in places where the population is accustomed to eating lamb.Sheep meat is traditionally eaten by representatives of the Muslim faith.