The Gissar breed of rams and sheep comes from Asian countries. These animals are immediately recognized by the large fat tail in the tail of the body. The Gissar meat-fat breed is considered the record holder for weight and reserves of fat tail fat. The animals' body is covered with coarse wavy hair, which is good protection from frost in winter. In the summer, the coat is sheared, so the rams do not succumb to the heat and quickly recover.
Origin story
Gissar rams and sheep have lived in Central Asia for centuries.Animals were bred for meat and fat tail fat in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other Asian republics. The breed was created naturally. Over the centuries, individuals with the best performance have been selected for crossbreeding. In the west of Tajikistan is the Gissar Valley, after which the animals are named.
This breed is called unique. Hissar sheep were bred in isolation and their appearance was not influenced by other sheep varieties. These animals are real record holders for slaughter yield of meat and fat tail fat. The live weight of Gissar sheep is higher than the weight of the largest breed, the Lincoln breed.
For the first time, fat-tailed animals began to be studied at the dawn of the USSR, that is, in 1927-1928. Under the leadership of Moscow scientist Semyon Azarov, an expedition was sent to the republics of Central Asia to explore sheep farming in this region. Zoologists have found that for many centuries the Gissar breed grazed on high mountain pastures isolated from the outside world and did not mix with other types of sheep.
Description and characteristics of the breed
Gissar sheep are considered the largest of the cultivated breeds of animals of this species. They have coarse wool that keeps them warm in winter. The breed is considered meat-greasy. Animals are bred for meat and fat tail. Their fur clipping is insignificant. The color of hissars is dark red or black. The wool is rough. Only 1-1.6 kilograms are cut per year. Low quality animal wool is used only for making felt and coarse felt.
The main feature of the Gissar breed is its unique exterior. The height at the withers of rams reaches 85 cm. Females are slightly lower (75 cm).Adult rams weigh 130, and sometimes even 180 kg. The weight of females is 70-100 kilograms. The body length is 75-85 cm. The chest circumference is on average 34-45 centimeters.
The animals have strong bones, a wide, rectangular body, and a well-developed, raised, rounded tail in the back of the body. The body is densely covered with hair. The size of the fat tail in males reaches 50 cm, in females - 30-40 cm. Fat tail fat accumulates in this part of the body. When slaughtered, the weight of fat from the fat tail ranges from 5 to 50 kilograms. In young people, animal tail fat is white, in old people it is yellowish.
Depending on the size of the fat tail, Gissar sheep are divided into three groups: meat, meat-fat and fat-tailed. Animals vary in appearance. The fat tail size is the smallest in meat breeds. In the meat-greasy type, this part of the body is pulled up to the level of the back. In fat-tailed sheep, the fat tail is very prominent, because up to 60 kg of fat tail fat can accumulate in this storage. Gissar rams have an elongated, usually hornless head. The ears are of medium length, hanging down. The bridge of the nose is convex. There is no fur on the head and legs. The tail is missing.
The Gissar breed is perfectly adapted to the climate of Central Asia. In summer, animals graze on high mountain pastures, in winter they descend to the lowlands. Rams and sheep are able to travel long distances. They can remain on pasture throughout the warm season. The animals are recovering quickly.
Females usually give birth to one lamb at a time. After lambing, they give 1.8-2.3 liters of milk per day.Until 3 months of age, lambs should be milk-fed. From the milk of females you can make cheeses (for example, feta cheese).
Advantages and disadvantages
Features of maintenance and care
Gissar lambs can graze on pasture all summer. Animals gain weight well if they spend the whole day in the fresh air and eat to their heart's content. In winter, rams and sheep should be kept indoors. The animals have excellent immunity; they are not afraid of frost, but in winter the meadows are covered with snow. It is also not recommended to take Gissar sheep outside in the rain.
In the room you need to put a manger for hay, feeders for grain and drinking bowls for water. The air temperature in the barn is maintained from 10 to 18 degrees Celsius throughout the winter. There should be a lot of light in the room. Animals eat mainly during the day. In the dark they lose their appetite.
Windows are installed near the roof so that animals are not frightened by running dogs or people passing by.
The room where sheep are kept should be dry, clean and warm. There should be 2.5-3 square meters per animal. meters of area. The straw bedding is changed as it becomes dirty, that is, daily. When kept in stalls, rams are fed three times a day. Water is given twice a day, in between feedings.
At 3 months of age, Gissar sheep are vaccinated to prevent them from contracting infectious diseases.Pets are given antiparasitic medications once or twice a year. In the spring, before the hot summer months, the sheep's wool is sheared. Skin wounds are treated with iodine or another antiseptic.
Diet
Hissars, like all ruminants, must consume feed rich in fiber. This diet starts the stomach and promotes the normal functioning of the digestive system. In summer, the main food of sheep is grass. Animals quickly recover on legumes and cereals.
In winter, Gissar lambs need to be given hay or cereal straw. Sheep thrive well on boiled potatoes (no more than 200 grams per day). As a top dressing, animals are given up to 300 grams of grain mixture (barley, corn, oats). In winter, rams can be fed with sunflower meal and cake. The main source of vitamins in the cold season is vegetables and fruits. Rams can be fed finely chopped beets, carrots, and pumpkin. To replenish vitamin reserves, sheep are given spruce and pine branches and pharmaceutical vitamin preparations. There should always be salt in the feeder.
Breeding
Gissar rams reach sexual maturity at 7-8 months. It is recommended to cover the females later. Typically, lambs are brought to mating at 12-18 months. If there is no breeding ram, then artificial insemination is carried out. Pregnancy in females lasts 150 days. After 5 months, one, rarely two, lambs are born. Childbirth in a female lasts 30-60 minutes. Lambs are born independently, without human help. The female gnaws the umbilical cord and licks the baby. The person may be present at the birth. In this case, he needs to cut the umbilical cord and clear the mucus from the newborn’s nostrils. The afterbirth comes out on its own after 1-3 hours.
Immediately after birth, lambs must feed on their mother's milk. Animals should be breastfed by a female until they are 3 months old. Then they are gradually transferred to plant foods.
What do Gissar sheep suffer from?
This breed has excellent immunity. In their homeland, on high mountain pastures, Gissars almost never get sick. Lambs simply do not come into contact with other animals, including infectious ones.
It is not possible to create ideal conditions for growing the Hissar breed on farms. Sheep can become infected from other animals, through grain, hay, and grass in the meadow. At 3 months of age, it is recommended to vaccinate them against the most dangerous infectious diseases that cause the death of the herd (foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, smallpox, brucellosis). Twice a year, rams are given antiparasitic prophylaxis.
Breeding prospects
Gissar rams and sheep are bred in the republics of Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan). There are small herds of these animals in many regions of Russia. Hissars are also grown in Ukraine. This productive meat-fat breed is mainly bred in places where the population is accustomed to eating lamb. Sheep meat is traditionally eaten by members of the Muslim faith.
