West Siberian meat breed of sheep

The West Siberian sheep breed is an animal that is great for growing in cold climates. They give a high yield of meat and high-quality semi-fine wool. Due to the rapid growth, young animals go for meat already at the age of 6 months, which increases the payback of cultivation and gives high profits. The only drawback of the breed is the difficulty in raising sheep in hot and dry climatic conditions, which makes it difficult for them to spread everywhere.

West Siberian sheep

The main direction of breeding the breed is fattening lambs for slaughter, as well as obtaining crossbred wool. Purebred breeding allows the use of intensive reproduction technologies and the production of meat products on an industrial scale.

History of the breed

The West Siberian breed is a product of the latest selection, which was officially entered into the register in 2012. Work on breeding a cold-resistant meat and early maturing breed began at the end of the 20th century and was completed in 2008. Kuban specialists and scientists from the Altai Territory took part in the breeding work.

When breeding West Siberian sheep, several breeds of animals were used simultaneously:

  1. North Caucasian meat and wool.
  2. Soviet meat and wool.
  3. Texel (sheep).

The first two breeds are characterized by the best indicators of meat and wool productivity, and Texel sheep are characterized by unpretentiousness and endurance. All these positive qualities were inherited by animals of the West Siberian breed. As additional crossing lines, breeders used Lincoln sheep and representatives of the Kulunda fine-fleeced sheep. West Siberian sheep gain an average of 9% more weight than their closest relatives.

Features and appearance

West Siberian sheep were able to inherit the most promising characteristics from their ancestors. Representatives of the new meat breed have a strong powerful physique, developed muscular corset. The most developed muscles of the sacrum and back. Also, the West Siberian breed is characterized by a straight back, a wide chest, a compact head with a wide nose, widely spaced legs with strong hooves, a short voluminous neck.

Important! All representatives of the West Siberian breed lack horns.

The wool of animals has an average length of 12 cm and a light, cream color. The wool covering the head and legs of animals is shorter. Sheep have a thicker coat. The longest coat can be obtained with a 12-month-old bright.

Breed description

Breed description

The main characteristics of wool:

  • softness;
  • uniformity and clear expression of the curl;
  • expressiveness of gloss;
  • white, staple fleece;
  • fineness – 26-29 microns for ewes and 27-30 microns for rams.

Key Features:

  • meat yield – up to 52%;
  • the average term for slaughter weight gain is 5-6 months;
  • average weight at the age of 1 year – 100/50 kg (rams / ewes);
  • sheared wool from one ram – 5,5 kg with a net yield of up to 3,5 kg;
  • sheared wool from brights – 4 kg with a net yield of up to 2,5 kg.

The optimal conditions for keeping sheep are cold regions of the steppe and forest-steppe (Altai Territory, Novosibirsk). With proper care, the breed gives high fertility: ewes give offspring at any time of the year.

Features of breeding

When bred in regions with a temperate continental climate, representatives of the West Siberian breed do not require special care. Animals are resistant to disease, do not impose special dietary requirements. The disadvantages of these sheep include only poor heat tolerance and low milk yield. In the summer, sheep can feed exclusively on pasture. In the off-season, hay, vegetables and solid feed are added to pasture, and in winter, animals are completely transferred to such a diet.

Reference. The biological fecundity of the West Siberian ewes is 139,2% when calculated for 3 years of observation.

It is noteworthy that sheep of the West Siberian variety show a consistently high weight gain even when grazing on poor pastures. When using supplementary feeding, the main emphasis is placed on root crops (carrots, pumpkin, fodder beets) and concentrated feeds, which are produced on the basis of cereals and legumes, sunflower, corn, and bran. The component of the diet is selected depending on the age of the sheep, the presence of pregnancy, the ability to receive fresh pasture.

Sheep on the run

Sheep on the run

The West Siberian breed, as a meat and highly productive breed, is recommended for purebred cultivation in Russian farms located in a temperate cold climate. Also, this breed is used in breeding work to increase the yield of meat and wool of offspring. Purebred breeding is characterized by a stable inheritance of parental traits and a high percentage yield of elite and first class ewes.

Author: Olga Samoilova

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Anna Evans

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