Tawny sheep belong to the meat breeds of sheep. Animals got such a funny name for their characteristic peculiarity. It turns out that the accumulated fat in them is deposited in a fat tail (a kind of ball located at the tail), and its weight can reach 10 kg, which is a lot, given the general parameters of the animal. Breeds of fat tail rams may be of interest to those whose business is being built as part of animal husbandry. In Russia, this niche is just beginning to be developed. That is why the main attention in the article will be paid to the description of the breeds and their difference from ordinary sheep. What does a fat tail ram look like? Photos are presented in the article.
How not to let yourself be deceived?
Beginner breeders can easily be fooled by passing off other species as fat tail sheep.
- The ram has a tailed tail fat tail. Instead, he has a small ponytail covered in a layer of fat. This is the main difference.
- Fat-tailed ram is also not fat tail, and for the same reason. Fat is deposited in a triangular tail.
- Karabakh ram is considered fat tail. However, fat with an average weight of the animal will be only 2-2.5 kg. A distinctive feature of the breed is bifurcated kurdyuk. The meat is delicious.
Which fat tail sheep are the largest?
These are the Hissar rams. They were bred by folk selection on mountain pastures. Among experts, they are considered a special "race" of fat tail sheep due to the specific conditions of keeping and breeding, as well as isolation from other species of their own kind. They differ in the largest curls (in some individuals, it can reach 30 kg). Sheep at the withers grow up to 80 cm, sheep - up to 85 cm. Animals are strong, developed, with a large and wide body. The head is massive, the neck is short and dense, the muzzle is hunchbacked. Crossing distances up to 500 km (from winter pasture to high mountain summer) can withstand problems. The total weight reaches 200 kg for a ram (for a sheep - 30-40% less), slaughter - about 60%.
Today, the breed develops in three directions: greasy, meat-greasy, meat. It should be said that the latter type of "storage" (kurdyuk) is much smaller. Young growth is early (weight gain per half a kilogram per month). The uterus is always horny; small horns sometimes grow in rams. The coat is coarse, mostly with a thick spine. The cut was low - 1.5 kg per ram and up to 1.4 per sheep. Wool is suitable for making felt and nightmares. Hissar rams adapt well to new conditions.
What other breeds are currently represented on farmers' markets?
Edilbaev and Karachev rams are also in demand. They are inferior to the Hissar ones in terms of meat and oil volumes (productivity), however, the quality of their coat is higher (more fluff, softer to the touch) and cut more.
How much are fat tail rams and where to buy them?
If we are talking about breeding, then for further breeding you need to take high-breed individuals. Central Asian and North Caucasian fat tail sheep are sold on the country's pedigree farms. The price of one adult is 7-12 thousand rubles.
The culture of consumption of high-quality mutton in Russia has only just begun to emerge. Good fat tail sheep, unlike their counterparts, have a higher quality of meat, fat, wool.