Fat-tailed rams: a brief description, prices

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Fat-tailed rams belong to the meat breeds of sheep. Animals received such a funny name for their unique feature. It turns out that their accumulated fat is deposited in a fat tail (a kind of ball located at the tail), and its weight can reach 10 kg, which is quite a lot, given the general parameters of the animal. Breeds of fat-tailed sheep may be of interest to those whose business is built within the framework of animal husbandry. In Russia, this niche is just beginning to develop. That is why the focus of the article will be on the description of breeds and their difference from ordinary sheep. What does a fat-tailed ram look like? Photos are presented in the article.

How not to be deceived?

Beginner breeders are easily misled into thinking other varieties are fat-tailed rams.

1. The tailed ram has no fat tail. Instead, he has a small ponytail covered with a layer of fat. This is the main difference.
2. Fat-tailed ram is also notrefers to fat tail, and for the same reason. Fat is deposited in his triangular tail.
3. The Karabakh ram is considered fat-tailed. However, with an average weight of an animal, there will be only 2-2.5 kg of fat. A distinctive feature of the breed is a forked fat tail. The meat is delicious.

Which fat-tailed rams are the largest?

These are Hissar rams. They were bred by folk selection on mountain pastures. Among connoisseurs, they are considered a special “race” of fat-tailed 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 fat tails (in some individuals it can reach 30 kg). Sheep at the withers grow up to 80 cm, rams - up to 85 cm. The animals are strong, developed, with a large and wide body. The head is massive, the neck is short and dense, the muzzle is hook-nosed. Without problems, they withstand transitions over distances of up to 500 km (from winter pasture to high-mountain summer pasture). The total weight reaches 200 kg for a ram (for a sheep - 30-40% less), slaughter - about 60%.

Today the breed is developing in three directions: lard, meat-lard, meat. It should be said that the last species has a much smaller "storage" (fat tail). Young growth is early (weight gain of half a kilogram monthly). The uterus is always hornless; rams sometimes grow small horns. The coat is coarse, mostly with a thick awn. The clipping is low - 1.5 kg from a ram and up to 1.4 from a sheep. Wool is suitable for making felt and felt mats. Hissar rams adapt well to new conditions.

What other breeds are on the market right now?

Edilbaev and Karachev rams are also in demand. They are inferior to Hissar ones in terms of meat-fat volumes (productivity), however, their wool quality is higher (more fluff, softer to the touch) and cut more.

How much do fat-tailed rams cost and where can I buy them?

If we are talking about breeding, then for further breeding work you need to take high-bred individuals. Central Asian and North Caucasian fat-tailed rams are sold at the breeding farms of the country. The price of one adult is 7-12 thousand rubles.

The culture of high-quality lamb consumption in Russia has just begun to emerge. Good fat tail sheep, unlike their counterparts, have a higher quality of meat, fat, wool.