Request for Sheep ID
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Question:
What breed of sheep or goats are in Iraq. I think they have Angora and Suffolk mixture. Dealing with the wool and trying to get a handle on the value of the wool/mohair that these animals produce.
Response:
My best guess would be that there is a substantial contribution from local breed(s), such as the Turkish carpet wool breeds shown below. The Suffolk black face is dominant, so one would not expect to see the white down the front of the face if there were Suffolk in the cross. Will check with the sheep geneticists at ARS in Idaho to see what they come up with.
Cine Capari
The Cine Capari is found in Aydin Province of Turkey. The animals are white and sometimes have light brown to dark black spots on the feet and stomach. Ewes average 38kg. They are carpet wool type and are reported to be resistant to diseases.
Sakiz
Also Known By: Çesme
Found in the region surrounding Izmir in Turkey, the Sakiz is a carpet wool breed also kept for meat and milk production. White with black spots around the mouth and eyes and on the ears and legs. The males are horned and the females usually polled or hornless. They are a long-thin tail breed with fat at the base of the tail. The Sakiz originated from the Chios.
Reference:
Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.
Chios
Like so many breeds the exact origin of the Chios is unknown. Some sources suggest it is the result of crossbreeding between local sheep of the island of Chios and breeds from Anatolia, possibly the Kivircik and Daglic breeds.
The Chios is typically white with black, occasionally brown, spots around the eyes, and on the ears, nose, belly and legs. The entire head is often black. The mature size of the ewes is typically 105 - 155 pounds (48-70 kg) and rams from 145-200 lbs (65-90 kg) indicating regional differences. Female conformation is typically dairy. The breed is classified as semi-fat-tailed.
The Chios are early maturing and can be mated at 8-9 months. The breed is non-seasonal with some ewes reported to have two lambings in a year. Research has shown the ovualtion rate to range from 2.9 to 3.3 in mature ewes. The average litter size ranges from 1.5 to 2.3 lambs. The birth weight of the lambs range from 8-8.5 lbs (3.75-3.85 kg) and 45 day weights of 32.5-35 lbs (14.8-15.61 kg).
Milk production for the breed varies from 265 to 660 pounds (120-300 kg) of milk per lacation depending on management and husbandry conditions. The highest production recorded is 1317 pounds (597.4 kg) during a 272 day lactation.
Fleece weight ranges from 2.6 to 5.5 pounds (1.2-2.5 kg). Average wool quality measurements are: fiber diameter, 27-35 µm; spinning count 44's to 56's and staple length, 8-13 cm. Quality within a fleece is generally consistent but there is considerable variability between individuals.
References:
Hatziminaoglou, I., A. Georgoudis, N. Zervas and J. Boyazoglu. 1996. Prolific Breeds of Greece. Chap 3.3, Prolific Sheep. (M.H. Fahmy, ed.), CAB International, University Press, Cambridge 542 pp.
Mason, I.L. 1988. World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds. Third Edition. C.A.B International.
Mason, I.L., 1980. Prolific Tropical Sheep. Animal Production and Health Paper 17. Publ. by FAO, Rome, 124 pp.