Maximum and average weight of a ram at different ages: an overview of different breeds

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

Sheep are very popular farm animals. Sheep are bred in almost all corners of the world, including in unfavorable natural areas. These animals were domesticated a very long time ago - in the 6th-7th centuries BC. In addition to unpretentiousness, farmers also attribute the ability to quickly gain muscle mass with low feed costs to the pluses of sheep.

Average ram weight

When keeping these animals on farms, feed is used, both juicy and coarse or concentrated. For good development, sheep should receive vegetables and root crops, grass and hay, grains and legumes. The productivity of sheep in terms of weight gain, like any other farm animals, directly depends on how correctly their diet will be composed. Sheep should receive the amount of proteins, vitamins and trace elements necessary for their body.

The weight of sheep depends not only on the conditions of their maintenance, but also on such factors:

• age;
• gender;
• breed.

Sheep, of course, weigh more than sheep. All currently existing breeds of these animals are classified into fat-tailed, fur coat and meat-wool. Farmers also breed fine-fleeced sheep. Representatives of breeds of the same age, of course, may have different weights. Also, sometimes dwarf lambs are kept on farms. The body weight of such animals, of course, is very small.

Weight of sheep at different ages

Lambs are usually born quite small. In most cases, the body weight of animals of this species immediately after birth does not exceed 3.5-5.5 kg. During the first two months of life, lambs usually gain up to 350-500 g of weight per day. At the age of 1 month, the maximum body weight in these animals is 18-20 kg, and the average is 14-15 kg.

A distinctive feature of sheep is, among other things, the fact that they can quickly build muscle mass even on pasture. Receiving a minimum amount of concentrates, lambs by 2 months can gain weight up to 25 kg. On average, the body weight of animals at this age is 22-23 kg. By 3 months, the maximum weight of rams reaches 40 kg. On average, by this time, lambs are gaining a body weight of 33-35 kg.

At 7-8 months of age, these animals begin puberty. By this time, the average weight of a ram is usually already 45-60 kg. These animals reach slaughter weight by 11-12 months. Maximum adult weightram is 180 kg. The record body weight for these animals is 200 kg. The heaviest ram in the world weighed 247 kg. He belonged to the Suffolk breed. The average weight of adult males is 100-110 kg.

Dwarf sheep are, of course, the exception to the general rule. The maximum weight of an adult ram of this variety usually does not exceed 35 kg. On average, the body weight of such animals that have reached puberty is 20-25 kg.

Weight of fat-tailed rams

Representatives of the breeds of this group are the heaviest sheep in the world. These sheep are raised mainly for meat. It is fat-tailed adult males that can reach a maximum weight of 180-200 kg. The average weight of a live ram of this variety is 150 kg. Kurdyuk in such animals can weigh 12-14 kg. Sheep of this species gain a little less weight - 70-90 kg. The body weight of fat-tailed lambs at 6 months of age averages 50 kg.

The heaviest breed of sheep in the world is the Hissan. The average weight of sheep of this variety is 180-190 kg, the maximum is 200 kg. The weight of the fat tail in these animals is 40 kg. In addition to the Hissan, the breeds of this group that are very popular with farmers are:

• Sarginese;
• Kalmyk;
• Edilbaevsky.

Sarja lambs already at the age of 6 months weigh about 45 kg. In adult males of this species, the maximum body weight is 150 kg. 100-110 kg at the same time - the average weight of a ram. How much do they weighmales of the Kalmyk and Edilbaev breeds? The answer to this question is about the same indicators. That is, the maximum weight of such rams is 150 kg, the average weight is 100-110 kg.

Weight of fur coat (mouton) sheep

Breeds belonging to this group gain less weight than fat-tailed breeds. Animals of this variety are grown to obtain not only meat, but also skins. Sheepskin is subsequently used for tailoring winter outerwear. In most cases, in Russia, he breeds Romanov sheep from this group of breeds.

Of course, many farmers who want to grow fur coat sheep are also interested in what kind of live weight such animals usually have. How much does a ram weigh on average if it belongs to the Mouton group? The body weight of such animals can also be quite large.

The weight of lambs of this breed at 3 months, for example, is already as much as 30 kg. In six months, the body weight of Romanov lambs reaches 50 kg. Animals of this breed are usually slaughtered at 11 months. By this time, the maximum weight of the Romanov ram reaches 100 kg, the average - 80 kg.

Meat and wool sheep

The most popular breeds of this group are Soviet and North Caucasian. Both of these varieties are distinguished in terms of weight gain by high productivity. The maximum body weight of a Soviet adult ram reaches 120-130 kg, the average is 100-118 kg. Sheep of this breed usually weigh 50-65 kg.

The average body weight of adult North Caucasian rams is 90-100 kg,maximum - 130-150 kg. Sheep of this breed at slaughter age weigh an average of 55-58 kg. Their maximum body weight is 129 kg.

Fine fleece sheep

The best breed of this group is the Soviet merino. Also, fine-fleeced Kazakh, rambouillet, Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikal sheep can be bred on farms. The average weight of rams of all these breeds is 80-110 kg, lambs - 45-70 kg. Lambs of this variety are usually born very small. Their weight can be 2-3 kg. However, fine-wooled lambs grow quickly enough in the future. At 6 months, the weight of males of this group averages 60-90 kg, queens - 46-50 kg.

Meat yield at slaughter

The body weight of rams of different productivity groups, therefore, can be quite large. The net weight of meat at the exit after slaughter in these animals, of course, is less than the weight of the carcass.

Before slaughter, sheep are first weighed and then sent to special pens, where they are left without food and water for 24 hours. During the period of fasting, the animals empty their bladder and intestines. As a result, their weight is reduced by 2.5-3.5%.

After slaughter, sheep are skinned, their heads and hooves are removed, and gutted. Slaughter yield by weight in sheep can be 35-60%. At the same time, the share of meat itself accounts for 64-70% of the net weight of the carcass, kidneys - 1.4-1.6%, bones - 25-30%, tendons and cartilage - 1.6-2.4%. Losses during storage and cutting can be 1.1%.

Thus, the advantages of sheep, among other things, includequite a large yield of meat. The average weight of a ram, as we found out, is 100-110 kg. Therefore, meat from each such animal can be obtained from 35-50 kg.

Interesting facts

Polled rams are rarely bred on farms. In most cases, the males of these animals have large horns. The average weight of a ram after cutting is 50 kg. The mass of the horns of these animals often reaches as much as 20 kg. That is, only 2 times less.

In one day alone, an adult ram can eat up to 10 kg of feed. Farmers try to choose pastures with the most juicy grass for such animals. In order for sheep to gain weight faster, they must be given additional silage, shredder, bran, root crops.

Sheep are slaughtered, as already mentioned, usually under the age of one year. The meat of two-year-old sheep is also quite edible. But rams at the age of 3 years are already considered unsuitable for slaughter, unfortunately. By this time, their meat becomes tasteless and very tough.

Weighing methods

The average weight of pure sheep meat after cutting is thus approximately 35-50 kg. The live body weight of these animals can be determined on farms in two ways:

• control weighing;
• calculations by parameters.

In the first case, scales are first installed in a special narrow paddock. Then the animal is driven onto them and fixed in a standing position. After weighing the ram or sheep, they are released into the common pen.

Secondthe method of determining the weight is usually used in the field. That is, where there is no access to scales. In this case, the calculation of the body weight of rams and sheep is made after measuring such parameters as height at the withers, width and girth of the chest, distance between the shoulder blades, body length.