The world is experiencing intensive development of sheep farming, which is not surprising. The industry's products are diverse: dairy and meat products, wool. To breed Georgian popular sheep breeds, a transhumance-pasture system and a stationary or semi-stationary system are used. To increase breed productivity, zoning schemes are used and the condition of pastures is improved.
Georgian sheep breeds
Preserving the purity of Georgian sheep breeds by avoiding their crossing with other breeds is the way the Georgian government chooses to breed small ruminants. Three breeds are popular among farmers: Imeretian, Tushino and fine-wool fat-tailed.Official Tbilisi plans to adhere to the developed veterinary standards, since Georgian breeds show good productive qualities.
For a long time, Georgian breeders worked on developing sheep breeds adapted to difficult growing conditions. The animals are accustomed to mountain-pasture farming and meager grazing.
Which one is better to choose?
When choosing, you need to take into account several factors: productivity, content features. Each breed has both pros and cons, which are reflected in the table.
| Breed name | Distinctive qualities | pros | Minuses |
| Fine-fleeced fat-tailed | rams gain weight up to 119 kg, and ewes - up to 96 kg. Exterior features: strong bones, well-developed muscles form a body with wide withers and chest. The limbs are strong and correctly positioned. White wool grows 8-12 cm long, 60-64 fineness, used to make lint-free, smooth material | It develops well in mountain conditions, has stable immunity, and the yield of pure wool is 47-54%. | low cut, thickness six is not sufficiently equalized, low live weight compared to other breeds |
| Tushinskaya | Cattle gain little weight: rams weigh 65-70 kg, ewes - 35-45. Thanks to their strong bones, the animals can easily overcome long distances. The shiny, elastic wool grows 12-25 cm long and is used to create carpets and fleece.Milk is processed into a variety of dairy products (brynza, cottage cheese, cheese) | endurance, possibility of year-round keeping on pastures, high-quality meat of young animals does not have a characteristic odor | low fertility, suitable for breeding in mountainous areas |
| Imeretinskaya | the animals are small in size: rams grow 48-55 cm high at the withers, gain weight of 22-36 kg, and ewes weigh 20-29 kg. Body features: high strong legs, small body, short neck. Thick white wool grows 12-16 cm long, has a silky shine and is suitable for making cloth and handmade felt products | fertility (females come into heat at any time of the year), high rate of wool clipping | the main disadvantage is the low milk content |
The listed breeds are the most popular. In small farms, small cattle of other breeds are bred: southern beef, Georgian.
Content Features
The relief of Georgia is very diverse. Based on the characteristics of the area, rules for keeping small ruminants are formed. In mountainous regions, they engage in transhumance-pasture breeding, mainly of Tushino sheep. In Georgia, this is the main way of keeping small livestock. Animals are driven to mountain pastures in the spring and to lowland pastures in the fall.
The haul distance is 10-500 km. The cattle are unpretentious in feed and living conditions, and are adapted to the harsh highlands.
In the conditions of stationary and semi-stationary sheep breeding, fine-wool fat-tailed and Imeretian sheep are bred. Animals are kept in specially equipped premises, divided into separate stalls.In good weather (summer and winter), sheep are kept in open areas. The transition from a winter diet to a green diet (grazing on pastures) is carried out gradually.
When choosing content, in addition to the breed, the climatic features of the area and the agricultural technology of the land are also taken into account. The conditions for raising and keeping livestock are important for increasing productivity. An increase in the yield of dairy, meat, and wool products directly depends on compliance with the requirements for keeping animals. You also need to adhere to feeding and grazing schedules, and seasonal movements.
