The history of the origin of the animal and its name
There are no historically confirmed facts about the exact date of appearance of these artiodactyls. The only thing that can be assumed is that they appeared about 10 thousand years ago. Their ancestors are considered to be mouflons, urials and wild sheep, from which they received the well-known name “ram”. Consequently, rams are domesticated artiodactyls of the sheep genus, a family of gentle animals. Moreover, sheep are representatives of the same genus. But the concepts of “ram” and “sheep” are, first of all, a designation of gender.
The word “ram” has always existed throughout the history of the species. It denoted both wild and domestic animals of both sexes. But the name “sheep” arose much later. The word means a domesticated female ram. And the word “sheep” in the plural includes domestic males and females of the ram family.
For the first time, residents of Asian countries leading a nomadic lifestyle paid attention to hardy and productive animals. But over time, Europeans also began to raise sheep in their settled settlements. Constant selection for the purpose of breeding meat, wool and dairy breeds increased the number to 850, while work on the breeds does not stop to this day.
Mouflon
How many argali are left?
According to calculations by the Hunting Department of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic, there are only
about 20 thousand mountain
argali
, which are known throughout the world as Marco Polo sheep.
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Description and characteristics
The ancestors of domestic sheep are mouflons and urials; they have similar qualities to goats. But since rams got their current appearance thanks to human efforts, it is important to know their most characteristic signs:
- Size – from 50 to 125 cm in height. Length ranges from 60 cm to 1.8 m;
- Weight – from 45 to 200 kg;
- Thick, long coat (curly in most breeds);
- Thick, spiral-like horns (exception: polled breeds);
- Well developed, strong legs with cloven, strong hooves;
- Long tail and white color (wild representatives of the ram family cannot boast of this).
In addition, sheep are herd animals that do not tolerate loneliness or small numbers. At the same time, the same goats feel quite good when paired.
Spreading
The first wild sheep were domesticated approximately 6000-7000 years ago in Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Iran. At first they were bred only in mountainous regions, but then it turned out that they easily adapt to a wide variety of conditions, including taking root in arid areas. Sheep gained popularity in the Mediterranean, from where they spread to Western Europe. English colonists brought animals to the USA, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Countries of practice
Sheep farming is now practiced all over the world. In terms of livestock, China leads (144 million), as well as Australia, India, Iran, New Zealand, Great Britain, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, and Spain.
Maintenance and care
Even with a flock of several hundred, there should be no problems with its maintenance. The fact is that unpretentious animals eat many different types of grass, weeds, branches of bushes and trees. Moreover, due to the structure of their jaws and teeth, sheep can nibble grass down to the root. Animals can also go for a long time without drinking and overcome long distances and mountain slopes. They inherited this from their ancestors.
When kept in a closed place or enclosure, only some breeds may require special care; for all others, a dry stall without drafts, and in winter, a warm sheepfold, is sufficient.
Important! In winter, when there is no grass, the diet requires variety. It is necessary to give feed with minerals. At this time, the level of vitamins decreases significantly.
The only vulnerable point of sheep will be sensitivity to moisture and precipitation. Since most breeds have thick and long hair, when wet, animals take a very long time to dry. This can cause illness. In addition, pastures located on mountain slopes, lowlands and in areas of cleared forests will also not be useful for the flock. In such places, humidity and coolness prevail, in which worm larvae develop well, and sheep are very vulnerable to such parasites.
In all other respects, sheep have no equal - they tolerate both heat and cold well thanks to the thermoregulation that wool provides. The animals are peaceful, very obedient and, most importantly, have a good herd instinct, which makes the shepherd’s work easier.
In addition, the herd instinct for the sheep themselves is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage of this quality is that the flock becomes obedient, calm, completely focused on food, and absolutely indifferent to what is happening around them. The downside of this quality is complete confusion and stress if you fall behind the herd.
Kinds
Depending on the target breeding product, it is generally accepted that there are the following types of sheep : wool, meat and dairy. The most interesting breeds of sheep:
1. Merino sheep are fine wool sheep, traditionally bred in Australia. One animal produces up to 10 kg of fine, soft wool per year, and at the moment this fleece is one of the highest quality in the world. Sheep are unpretentious in their care and feed, but have difficulty withstanding wet weather, which is why the vast arid deserts of Australia are more suitable for them than the vast expanses of Russia. Plus, thick, voluminous wool covers the sheep almost completely and often becomes a breeding ground for larvae of flies, fleas and other parasites.
Merino sheep
2. Romanov sheep are the most unpretentious and widespread breed in Russia. The main direction of breeding is meat, on average they weigh from 70 to 100 kg. Sheep meat is specific; an unaccustomed person may notice an unpleasant odor, but connoisseurs claim that properly cooked high-quality lamb is much tastier than beef or pork. The wool is coarse, cut about 3 kg.
Romanov sheep
3. East Friesian sheep are a dairy breed of sheep. During the lactation period, milk yield can reach 500-600 liters of milk, about 5 liters per day. Sheep milk is fatty and rich in protein, but this breed requires appropriate treatment; animals are very picky about the quality of pastures and living conditions.
East Friesian sheep
Difference between the words "ram" and "sheep"
Speaking about the difference between the names “ram” and “sheep”, it should be clarified that these concepts have two interpretations:
- The first is a classification of animals (genus), consisting of several species (argali, bighorn sheep and others included in this group, type and class);
- The second is one specific type of sheep, domesticated by humans.
Another interpretation suggests the sheep as a female domesticated animal, giving offspring and milk, and the ram as a male, fertilizing females.
Reproduction
Most sheep breeds are very fertile. They reach sexual maturity at six months, but they reproduce from the age of 1.5 years. Different breeds produce offspring either all year round or seasonally. The duration of pregnancy is 142-155 days. There are usually 1-2 lambs in a litter, sometimes up to 3-5. At the age of 2 weeks they try grass, and at about six months they become independent. Lambs are very active and playful, running around the pastures and constantly jumping up and down. Sheep are used on the farm for up to 6-7 years. The maximum life expectancy is 15-18 years.
Differences between the sexes
If we consider in detail the narrow understanding of the interpretation of concepts and the differences between a male and a female, you should know the differences in external data:
- Dimensions and weight. A ram will always be larger than a sheep, on average 1.5 times, regardless of the breed;
- Reproductive organs - testicles in rams, udders in sheep;
- The presence of horns - most often only males have them, but there are exceptions when the entire breed is characterized by its polled appearance or horns on both representatives of the genus;
- Character - it manifests itself in males, as they have to win the attention of females or lead the flock.
Behavior
Sheep are healthy and hardy animals. They are unpretentious, easy to manage, they are not aggressive, compact, and are not afraid of cold weather. In warm countries, sheep can be kept on pastures all year round; in moderately cold winters, sheds or uninsulated sheds are enough for them. But sheep do not tolerate dampness well, and therefore they are practically not bred in the humid tropics. The disadvantages of sheep are their lack of intelligence, lack of curiosity, and lack of contact. They slowly get used to a new environment and find it difficult to change habits, which leads to animals being considered stubborn. In addition, they have a very strong herd instinct, and sheep can only be kept in large groups. Sheep are sensitive to loud noises and are afraid of the dark and confined spaces. But the listed disadvantages of sheep behavior can also become their advantages. Thus, one shepherd can cope with a herd of thousands of sheep, controlling one leading animal; the herd can even be left without supervision. If you tie one ram, the rest of the herd will remain nearby and will not go anywhere.
Training and features
It is difficult to train sheep, but they can master several commands and remember the shepherds. They are meek, flexible, and have a good disposition. Compared to goats, sheep have a rougher voice and less agility. They do not climb steep slopes and slopes, and do not jump high.
Purpose of sheep farming
Even in ancient times, when people understood the value of warm sheepskin, tender meat and tasty milk, sheep breeding became a priority in agriculture.
Time has passed, but sheep have not lost their relevance, as they are a universal source of income and products.
Dairy direction
The first thing sheep are popular for is milk. It has a wide range of applications, but it has become most famous as a raw material for the preparation of elite types of cheeses: Roquefort, Pecorino, Caciocavallo, feta cheese and others.
In the course of evolution, the work of breeders and the demand for milk, special dairy breeds were bred: Romanovskaya, Askaniyskaya, East Friesian.
Meat products
Meat takes second place in the value of products from sheep.
Meat from sheep and rams is commonly called “mutton”. It, in turn, is divided into “lamb” - meat products of one-year-old lambs and “lamb” itself - the meat of animals that have reached one year. At the same time, the gender of the animal makes no difference, but it is the meat of young lambs that is in great demand and price - it is more tender, has a rich taste and contains more beneficial properties.
Among the specially bred breeds, the Gorky, Kuibyshev, Latvian, and Dorper are known.
Sheepskin and wool
The priority direction in sheep breeding - the production of sheepskin and wool - over time began to lose its popularity, since processing requires a lot of materials and labor costs. However, its former glory, quality and traditions still keep this industry afloat. And the long-known products made from karakul and tsiga wool cannot replace artificial fabrics and materials.
Among the popular wool breeds, Tsigai, Karakul, and merino occupy a place of honor.
Important! Sheep farming makes a profit not only from females, which increase the number of animals and provide milk, wool and meat. Males, which are one and a half times larger than sheep, produce more meat and wool.
Thus, the relationship between the concepts “sheep” and “ram” has two directions. The first direction is narrow - the name of female and male individuals within the same species of domestic animals, which differ in certain characteristics. The second direction is broad - the unit of classification of an animal species or its membership in a genus.
Benefits of Breeding
A herd of domestic sheep pays for itself very quickly. Feed costs are minimal, sheep grow very quickly, and young animals can be sent to slaughter as early as 7-8 months. From wool breeds you can get several kilograms of wool. Haircuts are carried out twice a year. A sheep farm can start with a few dozen individuals, and after a couple of years the flock will grow to hundreds or even thousands. As in any agricultural business, sheep farming has its pros and cons, but there are still more positive aspects. There are huge benefits from animals; you can get the following types of products:
- meat;
- sheep fat;
- wool;
- skin;
- milk, butter and cheese;
- manure for fertilizer.
How much does a lamb cost? The price largely depends on the breed and purpose of purchase. A live adult sheep for slaughter can be bought for 110-200 rubles per kilogram of live weight. A small young lamb can cost 2000-4000 rubles. It's no secret that the most expensive breeds are Merinos. Elite fine-wool sheep for breeding are sold for several hundred or even thousands of dollars. It is best to buy sheep from specialized farms at the age of 3-4 months.
Artificial insemination of sheep [edit | edit code]
For sheep, vaginal, cervical and uterine methods are applicable. To inject sperm using the vaginal method, a glass syringe catheter with a dosing device is used. For cervical insemination you need a speculum and a microsyringe. The uterine method of sperm injection involves the use of a laparoscope. [eleven]
Sense organs [ edit | edit code ]
All sheep have good hearing and are sensitive to sudden noise. [12] Lateral placement of the eyes and horizontally elongated pupils increase the visual angle to approximately 270–320°, which allows animals to look behind without turning their head (thick fur can reduce the visual angle) [13] [14] . However, spatial vision in sheep is not sufficiently developed (only from 25° to 50° of the viewing angle is binocular vision) - shadows and depressions in the ground can slow down the movement of animals. In general, sheep avoid dark areas and prefer open, well-lit spaces. [15] Sheep are believed to have color vision and can distinguish several colors, including black, red, brown, green, yellow, and white. [16] Sheep's eyes lack an accommodative mechanism, which means that their assessment of the depth of an object is less accurate than that of some other animals (including predators). Sheep eyes are less susceptible to farsightedness and astigmatism. In general, these vision characteristics are thought to provide well-focused images of objects at medium to long distances [17] . Visual communication is very important for sheep and they constantly maintain visual contact with each other [18]. Each sheep raises its head from time to time to check the location of the other sheep in the herd, which ensures that the herd moves together during grazing. Sheep isolated from the herd show signs of stress. If such a sheep is provided with a mirror, stress levels decrease, indicating the calming effect of the image of another sheep nearby [19] .
Taste is an important sensory organ for sheep. Sheep prefer sweet and sour plants, usually neglecting bitter ones. Vision and touch have also been suggested to play a role in the selection of preferred foods [20] .
The ram uses the vomeronasal organ to sense ewe pheromones and detect estrus females [21] . In female sheep, this organ is used to recognize their newborn lambs [22] .
Definition
The ram is a common artiodactyl animal. Along with bulls, bison and some other representatives, it belongs to the bovids.
Ram
Sheep is a domesticated animal, belonging to the genus of rams.
Sheep
Interesting Facts:
- Sheep are used in a variety of ways in the household. They are a source of meat, fat, milk, wool, lanolin, fur and hides. Most breeds are not highly specialized; they are used to produce several products at once, which is very convenient.
- Sheep are even used in scientific experiments. The most famous representative of this species is Dolly the sheep, which became the world's first cloned mammal.
- Sheep milk is popular in Israel, the Caucasus, and the Mediterranean. At first it was valued on a par with meat and bread. But then it gave way to cow’s milk, but the production of sheep cheese based on it remains unique. The most famous among them are feta cheese, Roquefort and feta.
