Description of the sheep of the Katum breed
Katum sheep are cloven-hoofed animals that have been involved in the household since ancient times.
Characteristics of the sheep of the Katum breed
Today, the use and breeding of such livestock is quite profitable, since lamb is considered a delicious meat, and the wool of such cattle is thick and most suitable for further processing and sale in this area.
Description
The Katum sheep breed is somewhat different from other similar genera and families of rams. The description of the species guarantees 85% growth survival rate. An interesting and unusual appearance makes even the most skeptics interested in them.
The appearance of the Katum sheep
They have the following features:
- Non-standard coat color. Immediately striking is the red, orange and even cream shade of the coat, which can be seen with the naked eye and in the photo. In addition to color, an interesting fact can be considered the presence of spots and marks all over the body. The longer and thicker the hair, the more and clearer they are. Such birthmarks can be either white or red in color on a snow-white skin.
- Attribution to the category of individuals, which is considered the most undemanding, but hardy.
- The ability to withstand any climatic disasters, changes in weather, fluctuations in temperature, air humidity and atmospheric pressure.
- The ability to quickly gain weight (up to a maximum of 120 kg), which allows for quick turnover of the livestock. Females grow much worse and reach a weight of up to 80 kg. It is important to know that under the right conditions, a lamb can weigh about one centner (100 kg) in 18 months.
Care features
Due to the fact that Katum is a breed where there is practically no undercoat layer, it is not necessary for them to cut their hair. The smooth-haired breed has always been held in high esteem by connoisseurs of natural lamb, since not only the size and length of the hair depends on it, but also the taste of meat, which is a very important factor.
The presence of hair and the absence of a wool layer help to quickly and efficiently gain weight while maintaining the level of nutrients in the body. In addition, wool is a cover, which is also accompanied by subcutaneous fat, which emits many toxic substances, sweat and, as a result, a specific and not very pleasant smell.
Thus, the absence of a sub-six made the Katum sheep breed very attractive to farmers in terms of harvesting and use. In summer, sheep hair reliably protects the animal from overheating and climatic conditions. In winter, on the other hand, they warm and retain body heat.
Main characteristics
Wool and other elements of the body are only additional accompanying products, the main and demanded product and the result of activity is still meat. Connoisseurs of lamb, who really understand this food product, all unanimously say that the taste of the meat is light and very unusual, and in its structure it is soft and just melts in the mouth.At the same time, analysts noted that such meat is an excellent alternative to any other type, be it beef, pork or veal.
Meat of sheep of the Katum breed
There is a myth that lamb meat, although it has an excellent taste, has an unpleasant characteristic smell, which is unacceptable in gastronomy and scares off potential consumers.
Odors occur in 2 cases:
- as you grow and gain weight;
- due to the subcutaneous layer of fat and wool wax.
The products of the Katumskaya sheep do not smell, again due to the absence of undercoat.
Dilution and application
The katum sheep are widely used in agriculture and the end product is highly valued by buyers. When farmers, owners of firms and farms decide to acquire a meat breed of Katum ram, it is always worth remembering that the skin and greasy part of the body are not in proper demand, so all efforts must be devoted to growing the carcass with the maximum meat yield.
At the moment, the cost of a lamb can reach several thousand rubles, while correctly approaching the issue of breeding them, you can recoup the capital spent in a very short period.
Story
Smooth-haired rams from the Katum breed group originated from not so ancient times. Katum sheep were bred with the aim of obtaining a hybrid of several interesting rams. The breed is nothing at all, about 20 years old. In the 90s. several dozen females, or, more correctly, queens, were brought from America, which were crossed with the genus of Romanov rams. There is also a second name, not the most common, - the Katadin breed.
Catadin sheep breed
The work of breeders in this industry is really amazing. The fact is that at the very beginning of the experiment, nothing special and supernatural happened. Later, several years later, in the selection process, scientists managed to deduce the modern type of Katum.
Interesting Facts
- Smooth-haired sheep do not suffer from infectious and inflammatory diseases inherent in other similar meat breeds. Persistent and hardy, they get along in the harshest climatic and weather conditions.
- As statistics and analytics show, sheep are very fertile, you can find out about this from photos and videos, while at the same time 2-3 babies generally give birth without problems.
Care features
Katum meat representatives, as already mentioned, do not require special maintenance and unnecessary attention, but at the same time a clearly composed and planned ration, proper conditions and premises must be present.
A ram is an animal that spends most of its life in pasture. The main advantage can be considered the fact that the construction of his body and body allows them to eat small and juicy grass and plants without unnecessary effort.
Of course, the conditions in the room must meet certain norms and sanitary standards. In the cold season, the permissible threshold of the temperature regime can be considered 10-12 ° C, in the summer the most optimal temperature should be equated to the indicator on the street.
Breeding of meat sheep is popular today, so you need to know that Katum sheep should receive in their diet a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals, concentrated additives, and not only in the form of powder or granular feed.
For feeding, or just as an additional option, you can use straw or hay of different plants.
Mating can be done after it has become clear that the sheep is fully ripe. This occurs at the age of 16-21 months.
It is worth remembering the use of various prophylactic agents in order to prevent the occurrence of frequent invasive disorders. Meat breeds should not be subjected to strenuous exercise.