Characteristics of the Soviet Merino
Livestock raising is one of the most developed branches of agriculture. In addition to meat, eggs and milk, breeders supply skins and fur for the textile industry. One of the most popular farm dwellers is sheep, among which the Soviet Merino occupies a special place. How did the breed appear and what are its features?
Soviet Merino
Origin story
Sheep are called merino sheep, which give a valuable fleece, that is, they are standard in terms of wool. Some of the first representatives lived in Spanish countries. The work of scientists on the breeding of the Soviet merino in southern Russia was long: from 1925 to 1946.
The first stage lasted from 1925 to 1930, the second - from 1930 to 1946. Initially, domestic individuals were crossed with different breeds of fine-fleece rams: Mazayevsky and New Caucasian merino and American rambouille. Then the obtained individuals improved in terms of physique and wool productivity with the Caucasian, Stavropol, Grozny, Altai sheep, etc.
Sheep of the Soviet Merino breed, depending on the type of productivity, are divided into wool and wool-meat. Among other things, there are the North Caucasian and Siberian offspring. The described individuals have a smaller skin reserve than sheep of other fine-wool breeds. In addition, there are many subspecies of different orientations in different breeding zones. Breeding factories specialize in several breeding lines for breeds and species.
In the second half of the 60s, there was a significant increase in the number: it grew 2.5 times. The breed of sheep Soviet merino is involved in breeding with coarse-wooled and fine-wooled rams in order to improve the appearance, increase the percentage of profitable fur and reduce the tendency to sweat.
The merino itself gains the status of an improvement breed due to its wool production. To date, approximately 17.5 thousand individuals have been officially registered, the bulk of which are queens.
Appearance and features
The Soviet merino inhabits the steppe plain zones of the Caucasus, the Urals, the Volga region. This breed is very much appreciated by the breeders of Dagestan. Pets spend most of their time walking. They love to walk in herds.
The breed is the most widespread in our area among fine wool.
The appearance of the Soviet merino
By what signs can one distinguish a Soviet gelding from its relatives?
- strong constitution, powerful muscles;
- the correct structure of the trunk and limbs;
- the presence of 1 or 2 transverse folds on the neck as a sign of a pedigree ram;
- developed curved horns in males;
- runic white wool around the head and legs;
- thick long hair (almost 9 cm) with curls, soft to the touch, covering the whole body up to the eyes, becomes longer over the years;
- sometimes there are bald patches in the back area.
Sheep Soviet merino is quite recognizable. Due to the thick woolen coating, the specimens resemble a large barrel. Six in most of the representatives are white, sometimes beige, ash, yellowish or gray sheep are found. Tonina 65-70 class.The disadvantage of luxurious merino fur is its rapid pollution and the formation of tangles. A breeder ram should have long hair all over the body, not just the side parts. The value of such "broken" wool is much lower. The wool-meat type is characterized by a certain plane of the body and a longitudinal fold at the bottom of the neck. Woolly animals, due to their angularity, feed quite hard.
In rare individuals, there is a sagging back, a narrow pelvis and crooked legs.
Sheep of the wool-meat direction are larger in size than their counterparts. But the directions can change, depending on the quality of feeding and caring for the ram. Under proper conditions, a woolly ram can turn into a woolly meat and vice versa. Fiber density is also related to grooming factor.
Productivity and breeding
Females weigh 50 kg on average, males around 112 kg. They are gaining mass quickly - heredity from the Caucasian fine-wool and coarse-haired. Thanks to crossing with meat and wool breeds, the Soviet gelding increased its weight indicators. The meat yield is equal to 45% of live weight, wool - 43%, i.e. 6 kg from a female and 11-12 kg from a ram, 17 kg of pure fiber is provided by a wool breeder ram. Their fat is deposited mostly on the kidneys and intestines. The wealth of the cut is associated with the amount of skin in the individual and their constitution. The maximum wool can be collected from a 3-year-old queen and a 4-year-old ram. But at the 8th year of life, the net percentage begins to decline.
Sheep with a fertility rate of 140% can produce up to 150 lambs per 100 females. A highly developed maternal instinct was noted in the female. Lambs are born with abundant hair on the trunk and legs.
They are friendly and playful in character. The breed is considered quite profitable, since it does not require large costs for its maintenance, but at the same time brings a good income thanks to a rich harvest of valuable wool. This is why Soviet merino dogs are so popular among breeders. If you are interested in a real Soviet merino, its characteristics will help you make the right choice.
Maintenance and care
The main part of the diet of unpretentious Soviet merino is compound feed and fresh grass. They readily nibble pasture in meadows. For normal development, it needs mineral supplements and vitamins: you can add oats and a little barley, bran, bean flour, vegetables to food. An adult eats about 2 kg of hay per day. In winter, the rams should be given to chew birch, linden or acacia branches.
Animals tolerate winter well and all thanks to wool. Merino may well doze off right in the snow and not freeze, so grazing is allowed in any weather, except rain and snow: wet wool is more vulnerable to parasites. But sunbathing is considered the best panacea for skin insects. This ram is a grazing animal that does not tolerate a long stay in the stall. Their pen should be dry and clean, so you should regularly ventilate the room and carry out wet cleaning in it.
Soviet merino is an excellent option for breeding in order to obtain quality wool. Feedback from breeders shows that the cultivation of Soviet merino is a profitable business. The costs invested in production are quickly offset by significant profits.