There is such a Romanov breed of sheep

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

The story of how the Romanov breed of sheep appeared in Russia is amazing and even somewhat amusing. Three centuries ago, in the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk, Yaroslavl province, in the upper reaches of the Volga, fishing was highly developed. The Volga white fish was delivered from here directly to the imperial court. However, only residents of the right bank, Borisoglebskaya Sloboda, had the right to fish. What remained to be done by the left-bank, Romanov? And they became famous for the fact that it was to them that a local merchant brought two breeding sheep from Silesia for breeding. From crossing them with local animals, a unique Romanov breed of sheep was born.

Description

This is a truly versatile breed - meat and wool at the same time. Sheep in live weight reach 70-100 kg, and sheep - up to 60-70 kg. The wool sheared per year from one animal is 2.5-3 kg. She is very beautiful and thin in these sheep, protected from stalling by a hard black awn. The color is unusual: at birth, the lambs are completely black, they gradually lighten, the limbs, muzzle and single spots on the body remain dark. The skeleton of a sheep is strong and large, while the head is dry andhook-nosed is another sign of the purity of the species. The Romanov breed of sheep is also distinguished by its fertility: in a year, the uterus brings two offspring, an average of 4-5 lambs. These animals are very economical in maintenance and picky in feed. In the warm season, they have enough walking in an open meadow, and in winter - hay, straw, a little dry compound feed for ewes - that's all the care. In addition, they take root well in any climatic zone, tolerate both heat and cold.

This is not only valuable fur

Due to the peculiarities of the coat, the Romanov breed of sheep is also considered a fur coat (there is such a term). Leather and fur are extremely valued in the production of natural sheepskin coats. It is characteristic that the dressed skin of this sheep has a much lower weight in comparison with other analogues, and therefore sheepskin coats from it are three times lighter than those brought from Turkey. The coat is quite hard and at the same time silvery with curls at the ends, a unique gray-blue color due to the dark undercoat. During the year, sheep breeders practice three haircuts. The best is considered to be sheared from lambs from ten months. Peasants always liked the beautiful non-staining color, and Yaroslavl artisans felt excellent gray felt boots from the wool of the Romanov sheep.

Delicious gourmet meat

The content of Romanov sheep is also justified by the fact that they have a good weight, and their meat is unusually tender and tasty. Due to their rapid growth, lambs can be slaughtered for meat from six to seven months. Contrary to the establishedopinion, lamb can be considered a real dietary meat. The tissues of this animal contain a minimum of adrenaline, and visceral fat is considered an excellent remedy for colds. And you can’t even talk about lamb meat shish kebab, it is appreciated by all gourmets. The only question is where to buy the Romanov breed of sheep. Most likely, in the same place where they are bred - in the Volga region farms, in the same Romanov-Borisoglebsk. True, for several centuries the city lost its priority in breeding the breed, it spread along the entire coast and further, in thirty regions of Russia and the CIS, and even became known in European countries.