Domestic sheep Ovis aries

Domestic sheep видео

Wild sheep were domesticated earlier than most other ungulates, around 10,500 years ago, probably in the territory of modern Iran; other data suggest that domestication occurred in the Middle East. Artificial selection was based on the criteria of specocity and productivity of the animals. Domestic sheep reach sexual maturity as early as at 5 to 7 months of age and females often give birth to 2 or 3 lambs (and there may be up to eight lambs in the litter!) Sheep farming exerted a tremendous influence on the evolving human culture.  Numerous “sheep farming” terms were introduced in the ancient Middle Eastern religions. Long time ago, the issue of sheep breeds attracted Charles Darwin’s attention and he had come to the conclusion that each country has its own rules for selecting and improving the breeds of sheep and every country has its own breed of sheep, with many of the countries having several different breeds.

Romanov sheep

 

 

The Romanov sheep originate from the Yaroslavl province where they were first bred in the 18^th century (first mention refers to 1802) in the farms of the Upper Volga region. Romanov sheep are prized for their extremely light, spectacular, warm, and durable pelts that are believed to be the best sheepskins in the world. Their wool has a fine undercoat which is longer than outer-coat hairs, and forms braids with beautiful little locks in the upper part. The coat is dense (2,600 to 2,800 fibres per 1 cm² of skin). These sheep are sheared three times a year (in March, June, and October) because of the seasonal shedding. Wool yield for the rams is 2.5 to 3.5 kg per year, the annual wool yield for the ewes is 1.4-1.8 kg. Romanov sheep are highly productive; 6-8% of the ewes produce a single lamb, 38-40% of the ewes produce twins, 44-46% of ewes produce triples, and 8-10% of all ewes produce from four to eight offspring. Within 100 days ewes can produce 100 to 110 litres of milk with fat content of 7-8 % (in best herds milk production comprise over 150 litres). Although Romanov sheep are considered to be an important source of wool in fur industry, production of meat seems to be the main purpose of their breeding.

The Ouessant (or Ushant) dwarf sheep

 

 

 

 

The Ouessant (or Ushant) dwarf sheep, occasionally called the Breton dwarf sheep, is one of the smallest breeds of sheep in the world. Rams are around 50 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 22 kg, with ewes being even smaller: they stand at up to 48 cm at the shoulder and weigh from 13 to 16 kg. The Ouessant breed originates from the Island of Ouessant (Ile d’ Ouessant) in the Atlantic Ocean, located about a dozen miles off the coast of France (Brittany). These sheep bred in the harsh climatic conditions of the tiny island have sturdy natures and are able to withstand the rigours of their natural habitat. They were bred for their wonderful fine, soft and very warm wool and all those sheep were black.

In the 20^th century, this breed was imported to the mainland and quickly became widely distributed in Europe. Aristocrats allowed the sheep to graze on their lands, using these animals as miniature live “lawn trimmers”. Afterwards, new colours of these sheep started to appear.