The largest sheep in the world belong to the meat and lard direction. Their characteristic feature is the presence of a huge fat tail, a bag of fat that accumulates throughout life in the croup area. These animals are able to gain weight, eating only pasture. From this article, readers will learn which breeds of sheep are considered the largest and why they are valued by breeders.
The largest sheep
Large breeds of sheep
The peculiarity of large breeds of sheep is that they quickly gain weight, despite the meager diet. It is fat-tailed sheep that are considered the largest. The weight of an adult ram exceeds 130 kilograms, and the weight of queens – 70-90 kg.
All fat-tailed breeds come from Asia. They are hardy and unpretentious. They are bred in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Caucasus, the Crimea and other regions. Such animals have a fat tail at the back – a fat bag, nutrients accumulate in it, like camels in humps. Thanks to this “strategic reserve”, sheep are able to go without food and water for several days. Under good conditions of detention and nutrition, the fat tail reaches a huge size. Its weight can exceed 30 kilograms. Consider the largest breeds of sheep.
Гиссарская
The Hissar breed is considered the largest in the world. It was bred in Tajikistan by the method of folk selection. Breed characteristics:
- the growth of a ram reaches 85 cm at the withers, and sheep – 80 cm;
- the weight of an adult male with good fattening approaches 180 kg, females are smaller, their weight is 110-120 kg;
- the size of a kurdyuk at a ram – 49х40 cm, at a uterus – 30х40 cm;
- the skeleton is strong;
- the head is large;
- the neck is dense, short;
- hump profile;
- polled (females may have the beginnings of horns).
Hissar – the largest sheep in the world. They differ in precocity. Up to the age of three months, lambs of this breed add 500 grams of weight per day. Such rapid growth is due to the good milk production of the queens. Animals are hardy, they are able to cover a distance of 500 kilometers, while eating only steppe vegetation.
Hissar breed
Attention! Representatives of the Hissar breed have low-quality wool, but their advantages completely cover this shortcoming – animals provide nutritious meat, fat tail fat and milk.
Kalmyk
Kalmyk sheep are slightly inferior in size and weight to Hissar ones. Their main difference is stature and a large head with drooping auricles. Their limbs are long and straight. The fat tail of the Kalmyk sheep is about half that of the Hissar sheep. Animals are polled, only 20% of males have the beginnings of horns.
The Kalmyk breed is valued for its endurance, high meat and tallow productivity. Their meat is nutritious and tasty, such products are in demand among consumers.
Attention! The weight of the Kalmyk ram reaches 140 kg, sheep – 90-100 kg.
Edilbaevskaya
This breed is over 200 years old. She is from Kazakhstan. Its progenitors are local fat-tailed sheep and coarse-haired rams, brought at that time from Astrakhan. Representatives of the breed are tall and strong: at the withers, the growth of an adult ram reaches 85 cm. The chest girth is 90-100 cm. In terms of weight, the Edilbaev sheep lose to those discussed earlier. The mass of the male reaches 110-120 kg, and the females – 70 kg, although the ewes reach the slaughter condition faster. Animals are polled.
Edilbaevskaya breed is bred for meat and fat. The fatness of animals is evidenced by the fact that the ribs cannot be felt with your fingers. The flock provides the sheep breeder not only with food, but also with wool. The annual clipping from each individual is 3-4 kg. Wool is coarse, therefore it is used for making carpets.
Edilbaevskaya sheep
Edilbaevsky females bring offspring 3 times in 2 years, there are 1-2 lambs in the litter. Babies grow up quickly, receiving full-fat mother’s milk. They can be slaughtered at the age of 4-5 months.
Attention! The advantage of edilbaevsky ewes is high milk productivity. For one lactation it is possible to get 150-180 liters. Milk is used to make cheese, cottage cheese and dairy products.
So, the largest sheep are Hissar, Kalmyk and Edilbaev. The listed breeds belong to the meat-fat direction and have a fat tail. Fat tail fat is used in cooking, and it is also used as a preservative.
