Kuibyshev breed of sheep description. The best meat breeds of sheep. Productivity of Kuibyshev sheep

A huge variety of sheep breeds allows the farmer to find his own version of sheep breeding, taking into account not only the future production of products, but also the natural conditions for its creation. One of the breeds that harmoniously combines high quality wool, good meat properties and adaptability to a variety of natural conditions is the Kuibyshev breed of sheep. For the first time in the Soviet Union, a breed of semi-fine-fleeced, long-haired sheep was created, with a meat constitution and capable of grazing in the harsh conditions of the continental climate.

Origin

Sheep owe their name to the Kuibyshev region, where they were bred in the late 40s of the last century. Livestock breeders sought to create a domestic breed that was not inferior in wool quality to English ones, but at the same time, animals should gain body weight well and easily endure heat and cold. To combine these traits, meat-wool ewes of the Circassian breed of the coarse-haired direction, distinguished by their large body weight and long white hair, were involved in crossing. As the paternal form, rams of the English Romney March breed were used, which are distinguished by high quality wool and, moreover, have endurance and precocity.

Description

Outwardly, representatives of the Kuibyshev sheep breed look like a huge, slightly fluffy skein of yarn, from which a pretty face and four sharp hooves stick out (see photo). In fact, the breed is characterized by a strong constitution: a massive skeleton, a powerful short neck, a wide head and a slightly elongated barrel-shaped torso. A characteristic feature of the breed is the absence of horns in both sexes.

According to the order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia No. 335 dated October 5, 2010, where the criteria characteristics of sheep are given different groups breeds, Kuibyshev sheep must be completely covered with dense wool, including the head to eye level. In addition, the animals must have a white coat and topcoat, although dark spotting of the legs and ears is allowed. The fleece must have a staple or staple-braid structure, the yield of washed wool is at least 57%.

Productivity characteristics

The Kuibyshev breed of sheep belongs to the group of breeds called semi-fine-fleeced long-haired in the Romney-March type, the productivity of which is assessed both by the qualitative characteristics of the wool and by the increase in live weight. Estimated indicators used when assigning a class to breeding sheep are shown in the table.

Table: Minimum productivity indicators of sheep of the Kuibyshev breed

Sheep of this breed are characterized by precocity, young growth reaches 25-30 kg by 4 months, and at 8 months it can weigh 45 kg. Research by scientists has shown that by this age, young rams already have a massive physique, characteristic of meat animals. If this time of maximum increase in muscle mass falls on the grazing period, the cost of meat can be quite low with very good quality.

Scientists have found that by 10 months, representatives of this breed have an optimal ratio of tissues that determine meat characteristics: muscle, bone and connective. At the same time, the meat coefficient (the amount of meat per 1 kg of bones) reaches a value of 5. In addition, the amount of high-grade meat proteins and the digestibility of internal fat reach the maximum values. This is due to the relatively small thickness of the muscle fibers and the frequent inclusion of small groups of fat cells, which are the fatty tissue of young animals. This is how the marbling of meat is formed, which is characteristic of sheep of this breed.

In the future, the number of muscle fibers in the tissues decreases, they themselves thicken, and then the process of compaction of the connective tissue begins. This reduces the quality and taste of the meat. Considering that by the age of 10 months young animals reach 75% of the live weight, the main recommendations of livestock specialists are reduced to planning the slaughter of animals at this age. Animal shearing is carried out in spring and autumn, although in some farms it is customary to shear only in spring. The average fecundity of ewes is about 130%.

Advantages and disadvantages

The economic feasibility of sheep breeding is determined by the ratio of future profits from the sale of the entire range of manufactured products and all possible costs for its production in a particular locality. Before buying sheep of the Kuibyshev breed, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons of their possible maintenance.

Advantages

• Easily adapt to the harsh continental climate: hot summers and cold winters.
• Breeding animals produce high quality wool, the market capacity of which is very high.
• The rapid growth of young animals allows you to get up to 30 kg of meat from an 8-month-old ram with a slaughter yield of 60%.
• Meat has good performance qualities: high yield of pulp, excellent marbling, no characteristic smell of lamb.
• Unpretentiousness in nutrition and active use of the pasture period.
• Fertility is about 130%, that is, every third ewe brings twins.

disadvantages

• Significant fluctuations in wool fineness in non-breeding representatives of the breed.
• Unsuitability for cultivation in conditions of unproductive arid pastures.

Surely you have seen photos of these funny animals on the Internet. These are sheep of the Kuibyshev breed, cute fluffy animals that willingly share their wool with people. Learn more from our review of this type of sheep right now!

Breed overview

A beautiful breed, each representative of which looks touching at a young age and impressive in adulthood. Kuibyshev sheep perfectly tolerate cold, heat, windy weather, but do not tolerate dampness, excessive humidity. A strong body constitution and a rather large head are recognizable features of the breed. Excellent resistance to heat and cold is another plus of these animals.

The Kuibyshev breed belongs to semi-fine-fleece species, it gives a lot of wool of excellent quality. It was the coarse-haired and fine-fleeced ancestors of the Kuibyshev sheep that made it possible to obtain a wonderful specimen of a semi-fine-fleeced animal. Thus, the breeders managed to increase the wool and meat productivity of the offspring. The fleece of the Kuibyshev sheep is staple, as well as staple-braid. Woolen fibers in length reach 15 centimeters.

Origin

The Kuibyshev breed was obtained by crossing Romney Marches and Cherkasy sheep. The name of the breed was given at the place of breeding - the Kuibyshev region (Russia). Thanks to a very dense layer of wool and unpretentiousness in food, sheep have perfectly taken root both in their homeland and in other countries. Currently, the Kuibyshev breed is bred and actively sold in Tatarstan, Mordovia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and other countries.

Appearance

The body is strong, squat, the body is barrel-shaped and slightly elongated, the neck is wide and short, like the head. Peculiarities appearance Kuibyshev - this is polled. Both rams and sheep are born hornless and remain so all their lives. The withers of the Kuibyshev individuals are muscular and powerful, the femoral muscles are well developed. The weight of a ram can reach up to 110-150 kg, and a sheep - up to 65-70 kg.

Fine wool is another reason to be proud of this breed. With good care, the animal literally shines, its coat shines and fits well, as if combed. The uniform texture of the coat and the braided structure add value to the sheared material. Each shearing of bright sheep brings about 5 kg of wool, and rams - about 6 kg.

Nutrition

The diet of animals cannot but rejoice, because they eat any grass, cereals, fresh and dry hay. Very fond of mineral top dressing, wheatgrass, turnips, sweet root crops. The basis of the winter diet is bright and lamb - hay, feed and clean water. The more balanced the nutrition of pets, the less often they get sick and the better their coat looks. These animals eat a lot, they love to eat well and run free.

Experienced farmers do not advise giving finely ground grain to shaggy wards - the nostrils of animals may become clogged. The main thing is that the diet is nutritious and regular. It is unacceptable to starve lambs and ewes or feed them with expired feed, moldy or damp during storage.

reproduction

The fertility of animals is about 130%, lambs almost immediately after birth look funny, very good-looking. They quickly gain weight, in six months they can already weigh 65 kilograms. Due to precocity, the breed quickly pays for feed costs. The lambing period is mid to late spring. Insemination is carried out in the fall, but it is better to avoid the birth of young animals in the winter, because this way the animals will get sick more often.

Now let's talk about how to properly keep the breed and whether there are any secrets of the content. The sheepfold may be cramped, but never cold and damp. The herd tolerates the cold well if it is warm and dry in the paddock where they spend most of the daytime. Room humidity is the biggest enemy of sheep wool quality and a concomitant factor for infections.

Raw wool will hasten the appearance of ticks and colds in sheep. The best fattening and weight gain in sheep will occur at a temperature of 6 to 12 degrees Celsius. The best product for weight gain is barley. The room must be constantly ventilated and cleaned, otherwise infections and a persistent unpleasant odor are inevitable, which the sheep already have a strong one.

Photo gallery

Kuibyshev sheep at the exhibition

Kuibyshev sheep in a paddock

herd kuibyshevsky x sheep on the farm

Video "Kuibyshev sheep at the livestock exhibition"

In this video, we offer you to watch the presentation of the Kuibyshev breed at an exhibition in Elista.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Among the large number of sheep varieties on the territory of our country, Kuibyshev is very popular. These animals among other domestic breeds compare favorably with high quality wool.

Kuibyshev sheep are highly adaptable to a variety of climatic conditions and have high quality meat. They belong to the breeds of the semi-fine-fleece direction and they have a rather long coat.

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All these advantages have made this type of sheep so popular.

This breed variety is a purely domestic product. It was created by crossing English sires of the Romney March breed and Cherkasy ewes of the coarse-haired direction.

In the future, the best domestic breeders worked with the resulting hybrids. For a tribe within a breed, they selected animals with the best performance indicators, which they then crossed with each other. This selection and breeding work was carried out from 1936 to 1948 at the Koshkinskaya state breeding station, located in the Kuibyshev region. Hence the name - Kuibyshev sheep. The team of breeders D.E. Nekrasov, A.V. Vasiliev and V.A. Vatagin.

The purpose of creating this breed variety was to obtain animals that, in terms of the main qualitative and quantitative indicators of wool, would not be inferior to the English ancestors, and at the same time had the ability to quickly gain weight even in adverse conditions of a harsh climate.

Therefore, during hybridization, the choice fell, on the one hand, on the Circassian sheep of the meat direction, the distinguishing feature of which was a large live weight and coarse wool, and on the other hand, the long-haired English Romney March breed, which was distinguished precisely by the high quality of the coat. In addition, both progenitor breeds were distinguished by a high degree of endurance, early maturity and strong tenacious offspring.

The main features of the breed

Outwardly, these animals can be compared with a ball of yarn, which was placed on four thin legs and attached to it a pretty face. However, the first external impression, as always, is deceptive.

If you look closely, it becomes clear that the Kuibyshev sheep has a strong constitution and powerful bones. The head of this animal is wide, the neck is short, but large, the barrel-shaped body rests on rather strong, correctly set limbs. Neither ewes nor rams have horns. The coat is dense and covers the muzzle to the level of the eyes. The length of the wool fibers reaches 15 centimeters, its color is mostly white with small inclusions of spots of dark colors.

Specialists refer to the Kuibyshev breed of sheep as a long-haired semi-fine-fleeced direction.

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A distinctive feature of these animals is their high rate of maturation. At the age of four months, young animals gain up to 30 kilograms of live weight, and upon reaching the age of eight months, animals can weigh up to 65 kilograms.

At the same age, the skeleton of the young is formed, as in adults. The highest rates of live weight gain are typical for the spring-summer period, that is, during the grazing of animals. At 10 months old, young animals can be safely called an adult sheep or ram. Their bone structure is fully formed, and their live weight is comparable to that of adults.

Adult rams have an average live weight of 110 to 120 kg, but outstanding representatives of the breed grow up to 150 kg. Sheep weigh noticeably less - on average from 60 to 70 kilos, and as much as possible - up to 90. The breed's fertility is average - 100 ewes bring 120-130 cubs.

The meat of Kuibyshev sheep is highly valued in the market for its marbling. This quality of meat is explained by the fact that the fibers of muscle tissues are still relatively small in size, and blotches of fat are already appearing between them.

Marbling of meat is typical only for young animals, with age, muscle fibers become thicker and denser, and this quality is lost, and with it the taste and quality of meat characteristics deteriorate.

In this regard, experienced sheep breeders plan in advance the time of slaughter of animals in order to catch the moment of “marbling” of meat.

Sheep of this variety are sheared twice a year: in autumn and in spring.

Each sheep breeder chooses the exact time of shearing independently, depending on the climatic and other individual conditions of management.

The main income items in the breeding of Kuibyshev sheep are the profit from the sale of meat, income from the sale of wool and, if such production exists on the farm, their processed products.

Therefore, the main advantages of this sheep variety are a good level of meat productivity and high quality wool raw materials. The meat of these animals does not have a specific smell, which is typical for lamb.

An important advantage of the Kuibyshev sheep is their high ability to adapt to any, even the most severe, climatic conditions - from hot semi-deserts to cold northern regions of the country. The disadvantages of this variety of sheep include fluctuations in wool fineness and the difficulty of breeding in conditions of depleted grazing lands.

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This is due to the fact that, after all, this breed direction was created for the regions of the Volga region, which are distinguished by a mild climate and abundant pastures with high quality grass.

The Kuibyshev breed of sheep combines highly productive meat and wool qualities. This type is considered semi-fine-fleece. They easily adapt to various climatic conditions and tolerate both heat and cold well. In this article we will talk about their origin, as well as the exterior and productive characteristics.

The name of this breed comes directly from the breeding area of ​​this type of sheep. The ancestors of these sheep are English Romney March sheep and Cherkasy uterus. Breeding this type of animals began in the Kuibyshev region in the middle of the twentieth century. It is the Kuibyshev sheep that are considered the first domestic breed. The most highly productive individuals were selected for crossing, as a result of which this type appeared. The creators of this type of animal are considered to be such livestock specialists: Vasiliev, Vatagina and Nekrasova.

Crossing with English rams did not occur until the second generation, as the basic characteristics of wool and growth productivity began to decline. Further (after the second generation) the best individuals were selected for crossing with each other. The Fleece homogeneity index was the main criterion for the selection of desirable and undesirable individuals for further breeding work.

Description

The main features of the exterior of the Kuibyshev rams and sheep is a strong physique with a body resembling the shape of a barrel. The legs of these animals are short and strong enough. The hind limbs are very well developed. Both queens and rams have no horns. The neck is short and the head is wide. The body is muscular, the back is straight, even. In general, the Kuibyshev type of animals is very similar in body structure to its English ancestor, the Romney March.

Another advantage of this type of conformation is strong hooves and a good degree of overgrowth. If we consider the characteristics of wool, it is worth noting that it is quite long. The length of the hairs is 13-15 cm. The coat is uniform and twisted, as well as shiny. The fleece belongs to the staple-braid type. Fineness 46-56 quality. Shearing in rams (on average) is 6-8 kg, and in queens, the weight reaches 5 kg. The output of pure wool is 60%. Color - white.

Conditions of detention

Kuibyshev sheep quickly acclimatize and tolerate heat and cold well. They are not picky and resistant to various climatic conditions. These are pasture-type animals, therefore they are grazed in the spring and summer. The transition to a dry diet should be carried out gradually. At the end of the grazing season, the animals are fed with dry feed. Root crops are also added to the diet of Kuibyshev sheep, but in a complex. Plants such as burdock, thorn should be excluded from the food of these animals, because they pollute the wool. During the fattening period, salt must be added to the water. You can also include various mineral supplements.

There is no need to keep the stalls warm. Unshorn individuals tolerate cold very well. The lowest allowable temperature in the room where the animals are kept is +3 degrees.

Under conditions of an artificial increase in daylight hours, Kuibyshev sheep gain weight faster, as they eat more food.

Since the hooves are strong enough, the animals are not prone to lameness. Hooves need to be trimmed once a year. This breed is very easy to breed, animals do not require special conditions of detention. They are also immune to various diseases.

Productivity

The Kuibyshev breed of sheep has a meat and wool orientation. One of the advantages of this type is precocity. At the age of 6-7 months, the weight of individuals can reach 50 kg. At this age, the ratio of feed costs and muscle tissue growth is the most beneficial.

At the age of 10 months, animals of this breed have an optimal ratio of meat and wool qualities. The queens are characterized by an average fecundity, which is 130 percent.

The live weight of a sheep is 120-130 kg. The record weight for Kuibyshev sheep is 160 kg. The weight of the uterus does not exceed 80 kg. In rare cases, 90 kg. The slaughter yield is 45-50 percent. The meat has excellent taste, and also has excellent marbling.

Shearing in rams reaches 8 kg, and in queens - up to 5 kg. The amount of fineness in the wool of adult rams becomes 29.1-37.0 microns, and in the uterus - 27.1-34.0. These are indicators of the quality of the cut.

Breeding meat-wool type of sheep is considered very profitable. Firstly, animals can be kept to obtain and sell wool, which is of high quality and, accordingly, a high price. Secondly, lambs very quickly gain body weight at a fairly low cost for the diet. This type is bred both on large farms and on small farms.

According to all the above parameters of productivity, we can conclude that we can be proud of our domestic breed. This type of sheep is one of the most popular in many regions of the country.

Video “Kuibyshev breed of sheep”

From the video you will learn about the features of keeping and breeding sheep of the Kuibyshev breed.

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Among the huge variety of sheep breeds, one cannot pass by such a harmonious animal as the Kuibyshev sheep. It stands out from the rest of the breeds by the high quality of the coat, it adapts perfectly to any environmental conditions and has high meat quality indicators. It belongs to semi-fine-wool breeds with rather long hair. These valuable qualities allow us to appreciate this animal.

Sheep of the Kuibyshev breed

This breed comes from the Kuibyshev region, where they were bred by breeders back in the forties. They sought to create a breed that would not be inferior in terms of basic indicators to English wool sheep, but could also quickly gain weight even in the most severe climatic conditions. In order to combine all these traits in one animal, Circassian meat sheep, which have a large body weight, as well as long-haired English sheep, the hallmark of which is high-quality wool, underwent crossing. Both of these breeds have high rates in terms of endurance, they mature quickly and give strong offspring.

Distinctive features

According to external signs, the Kuibyshev breed of sheep is similar to a ball of yarn, which has a muzzle and four thin legs. But this is only outwardly. If you look closely, then this animal has:

• strong physique,
• massive skeletal system
• the neck is large and short, the head is wide,
• barrel shaped body
• neither females nor males have horns,
• the coat is dense, closes the muzzle to the level of the eyes,
• the length of the wool cover reaches fifteen centimeters,
• coat color is white with small patches of dark spots,

Kuibyshev sheep have white wool

Breed productivity

Kuibyshev sheep belong to semi-fine-fleeced and long-haired breeds. Their precocity allows you to significantly accelerate the maturation of young animals. Already at the age of four months, they reach about thirty kilograms in weight, and by eight months they weigh up to forty-five kilograms. Already at this age, their bone was formed, like in an adult ram. The maximum weight gain is observed in the summer, when the animals spend most of their time on pasture. Upon reaching the age of ten months, the young can rightfully be considered an adult. Their body is already fully formed, the meat indicators of young rams become at the level of an adult. Their meat is highly valued for its marbling. It is achieved due to the fact that muscle fibers are still relatively small in size, and fatty inclusions appear between them.

With age, the marbling of meat in young animals is lost, the fibers thicken and thicken. The quality, taste and characteristics of the meat are reduced.

Therefore, experienced breeders try to plan the slaughter of animals in advance so as not to miss an important moment.

Sheep are sheared twice a year

Grooming of adult animals is done twice a year: in spring and autumn. This is just a recommendation. Each breeder must independently decide for himself in which period to produce a haircut. In different climatic conditions, wool grows in different ways. Therefore, it is purely individual.

Pros and cons of the breed

The benefit from breeding sheep of the Kuibyshev breed consists of several indicators:

1. Profit from the sale of meat, wool and products based on them;
2. Production costs (they depend on the area and the peculiarities of keeping sheep);
3. Opportunity to market and sell products.

Before deciding to breed Kuibyshev sheep, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons, assess the conditions for their maintenance, climatic conditions.

Kuibyshev sheep easily adapt to difficult climatic conditions. They are able to survive in hot climates and in severe winter colds. The Kuibyshev breed of sheep gives wool of the highest quality, and is also valued for its good meat performance. The precocity of young animals makes it possible to get about thirty kilograms of meat from an eight-month-old ram. At this age, it is especially appreciated for its taste and quality. It is also valued for the absence of foreign smell, which is characteristic of this type of animal.

Kuibyshev sheep gives tasty meat without a characteristic smell

The weight of an adult ram reaches about one hundred and ten kilograms, and the weight of a sheep is seventy-five kilograms of live weight.

A few disadvantages include fluctuation in wool fineness, as well as the difficulty of breeding on pastures with low productivity.

Experts attribute this to the fact that the sheep breed was created for keeping in the Volga region, where there is a lot of high quality grass and mild climatic conditions.

Sheep feed in the summer on pasture, green grass, root crops and gourds. In winter, they are transferred to feeding on straw, hay, concentrated dry fodder, root crops and silage. Breeders and veterinarians do not recommend transferring animals from one type of food to another too abruptly, otherwise they develop a digestive tract disorder. This has a bad effect on the health of not one animal, but the whole herd and lead to their death.