Sheep breeding in Australia: why it is developed and the best breeds, livestock size

One of the leading agricultural industries in Australia is sheep farming. It arose on the basis of cattle brought to the continent from European countries. Today, Australia is ahead of the countries of Europe and America both in terms of the number of sheep and the quality of sheep products. Australian sheep breeders have developed the Merino breed, highly valued for its quality and volume of wool, and have also organized an effective technology for intensive pastoral sheep breeding.

Description and characteristics of Australian sheep

Australian merinos are smaller than meat breeds, but their wool is famous for its high quality, it consists of thin and delicate to the touch hairs. From one sheep in Australia, 3 times more fleece is obtained than from an individual of any other breed.

Merino origin - Spain. Representatives of the breed are bred by crossing Spanish sheep with Middle Eastern and African ones. Merino sheep breeding for a long time was exclusively Spanish, under the threat of execution, valuable animals were forbidden to be exported from the country. And only in the 18th century, when Spain weakened after the war with the British kingdom, merinos were taken to Australia.

Australian breeders improved the breed, bred several varieties of merino, differing in appearance and fleece quality.

Bred in Australia, merinos are medium-sized animals. The table shows the parameters of appearance according to the breed standard. folded, with a non-massive skeleton, wide chest, straight back, withers above the waist there is a slight hook-nosedness, and spirally twisted horns grow on the head, the female usually has no horns sinewy, properly set

Skinthin, but strong and elastic, on the neck of some breeds either 2- 3 skin folds, or a large beard and white inside, length - 70-90 mm, thickness - 25 microns, density - 9 thousand hairs per 1 cm 2 , production from one individual - up to 12 kg (55 % net product)

In Australia, the second name of the Merino sheep is snow white, since representatives of the fine-fleeced breed are only white in color. The body is completely covered with fleece, the hair on the head reaches the superciliary arches, on the forelimbs - up to the carpal joint, on the hind legs - to the hock.

Merino wool is an ideal sheep product for textile production. The fabric made of sheep fiber is dense, strong, breathable, warms well, does not absorb the smell of sweat, and does not become electrified. The sheep product is used as a remedy for rheumatism, muscle inflammation and sprains.

Merino varieties

Merino fleece from Australia is divided into 3 varieties by quality.

Fine

Small, fine-fleeced sheep with no folds on their skin. Males weigh 70 kg, females - 40 kg. Sheep products of the 70th quality category are 5 kg per individual. The thickness of the hairs is no more than 15 microns.

Pros and conswool of the highest quality, superfine and delicate;animals are adapted to cool climatic conditions with frequent precipitation;wool does not tend to rot due to dampness.I like it I don't like it

Medium

Sheep with medium density fleece. Sheep weigh 80-85 kg, females - 40-45 kg. There are skin folds on the neck. Sheep products of the 66th category are 8-10 kg.

Pros and consthick and voluminous coat;adaptability to dry steppe growing conditions.thicker and coarser hairs compared to the wool of fine sheep.I like it I don't like it

Strong

Sheep with rough beige wool. Males are large, muscular, weigh up to 95 kg, females - 50 kg. The thickness of hairs of the 60th category reaches 24 microns. Sheep breeding products reach 10 kg of fleece per individual.

Pros and consthick and dense coat;the possibility of breeding for meat.wool is unstable to decay;Sheep are not adapted to living in a humid climate.I like it I don't like it

Pros and cons of the breed

Sheep farming in Australia is booming as Merino sheep:

1. Non-capricious in content. Quickly adapt to new climatic conditions. Does not require a special diet.
2. They have a soft, pleasant to the touch, well-kept warm coat.
3. Gives meat with excellent taste and nutritional value.
4. Different in fertility.

The breed also has disadvantages, they are typical for sheep breeding in all countries:

1. Dense and voluminous wool often harbors insects that farmers have to contend with.
2. With constant high humidity, merino wool hopelessly deteriorates, so the herd cannot be kept both in a damp barn and outside in the rain.

Features of maintenance and care

Although Australian merinos are unpretentious and hardy, but sheep breeding is not an easy task. The farmer must observe the following rules for keeping sheep:

1. Keep a warm, dry, draft-free barn.
2. Ventilate the room regularly.
3. Provide clean water for the sheep at all times.
4. Send pets to the spring pasture no earlier than the last days of April.
5. Don't rush to graze too soon. The dew on the grass must disappear, otherwise the animal hair will become damp.
6. Give your pets plenty of time during the cold season.
7. Bathing animals regularly in a pool of disinfectant solution.
8. Clean sheep's hooves 4-6 times a year.

In Australia, adult sheep are stripped once a year, juveniles - 2 times (at 3 months and 13 months of age), large rams - in early spring and autumn. Males have longer and thicker coats, the first haircut relieves them of additional weight in the hot summer period. And young individuals are bared twice in order to improve the quality of the fleece for the next haircut, to prevent the growth of coarse hairs. Wool is removed with a continuous fleece, sent for cleaning.

Haircuts in Australia are made by special workers - shearers. The procedure is carried out on a wooden elevation about 2 m above the floor, using electric machines. During the working day, about 100 animals pass through the hands of a shearer.

Diet

Australian sheep farming is self-grazing. Even pasture poor in grasses is more useful for sheep than being in a paddock. Of herbs, clover, wormwood, alfalfa are preferred.In winter, the animals are given hay. The diet is enriched with root crops, pea flour, bran. Grain is not worth giving, sheep quickly grow fat from it. Vitamin supplements are required in the diet, s alt stones as a source of minerals.

Reproduction methods

There are two breeding methods used in Australian sheep farming:

• free mating;
• artificial insemination (on rare occasions).

Happen animals in January or February. A device is attached to the breast of the fertilizing ram, which leaves a mark with a number on the back of the female, thanks to which the farmer knows which male this or that bright happened to. They become sexually mature by the age of one year.

Pregnancy lasts 145-150 days. Sheep give birth right on the pasture in June or July. The uterus brings 3-4 lamb at a time. Infant mortality is virtually zero.

In Australian sheep breeding, it is customary to castrate rams unsuitable for breeding at 9 months of age.

Frequent diseases

In Australian sheep farming, 6 weeks old lambs are mulized. This term refers to the cutting of skin folds on the inside of the thighs. The operated area of the body remains hairless. The procedure is necessary to prevent infestation of the animal's skin by blowfly larvae native to Australia.

Australian merinos are prone to colds, so they are protected from dampness and drafts, do not let out on dewy grass.

In the summer, animals suffer from parasitic diseases. Therefore, the use of drugs from fleas, ticks, midges is required. Sheep have hooves sensitive to dampness and moisture. Therefore, you need to regularly check if they have begun to rot.

Why is sheep farming developed in Australia?

Australia is divided into grazing, grain and humid climatic zones. Sheep breeding is most common in the first zone; there are farms with more than 5 thousand heads. And the total livestock in Australia is about 120 million sheep. For comparison, there are 5 times fewer people on the mainland.

Australia is one of the leading countries in sheep breeding. This is due to optimal climatic and territorial conditions. Pastures here occupy vast areas. The climate of Australia is arid, semi-desert and steppe, which is ideal for sheep breeding. Sheep are raised year-round by the pasture method, roaming through the vast expanses.

Unpretentious animals survive without problems in open areas, farmers build only pens and veterinary facilities. As a result, sheep farming in Australia provides a good income at a moderate cost.

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