Kuibyshev sheep characteristics. Kuibyshev breed sheep are the best choice for profitable business and households. Pros and cons of the breed

Everyone knows that kebab is made from lamb. But are all breeds equally good for this purpose? There is an opinion among sheep breeders that Kuibyshev sheep are better in this regard than any other. Is it so? - You can find out by watching the video in this article below. Now let's read a little.

Sheep farming, widespread in Rus' in the past and undeservedly forgotten in modern history, is now experiencing almost a rebirth. Many farmers are gradually coming to the conclusion about the economic feasibility of raising sheep in modern Russian conditions. The Kuibyshev breed of sheep, developed in the first half of the 20th century, with its outstanding qualities as a prominent representative of the meat-and-wool breed, greatly contributes to the revival of sheep breeding.

Why has breeding sheep, especially meat-and-wool breeds, become profitable right now? Raising sheep does not require large start-up capital, but it begins to generate profits very quickly. Feeding sheep in winter is quite cheap: straw, hay, a little fodder - sheep can be satisfied with this diet, since they are unpretentious in food. It must be taken into account that finely ground grain should not be given - sheep clog their nostrils.

The construction of an indoor sheepfold does not require a large area, and it is possible to provide a comfortable winter for the flock without spending extra money. Sheep can tolerate cramped conditions quite easily without suffering from overcrowding. However, it is better if the room is spacious enough to avoid injury to animals and certain diseases, such as mange. It is important to remember that sheep fattening occurs better at a temperature in the stall of plus 6-12 ° C and good ventilation, but not drafts.

Grazing sheep in the summer gives good weight gain with minimal costs, since sheep eat many plants that are unsuitable for feeding cattle. Pastures for a flock can be easily found where other types of ruminants can no longer feed themselves; it is only important that this place is not swampy - sheep are afraid of dampness and can get sick.

The meat of lambs and rams is highly valued on the market, and weight gain sufficient for slaughter is achieved in just a few months of full feeding of the lambs. Sheep wool, especially suitable for industrial knitting of outerwear, is again becoming popular and in demand in the market of woolen and knitted products, and sheepskin coats and sheepskin coats have not lost their relevance before.

Sheep milk is a valuable product of sheep farming, given its healing properties. In addition to traditional components, it contains microelements and vitamins in ideal proportions, which serve to eliminate the deficiency of calcium, folic acid and vitamin B12 in the human body. Sheep milk also cleanses the blood very well, improving its composition.

Some features of the Kuibyshev breed

Of the more than 60 breeds of sheep bred in Russia, semi-fine wool meat-wool breeds have become the most popular, and this is not surprising: meat, which has a delicate taste, is in constant demand, and semi-fine wool is highly valued on the market. Sheep belonging to these breeds, especially Kuibyshev and some others, tolerate both frost and heat well. In the conditions of the Volga region, where the Kuibyshev breed is most common, this is very important.

This breed of sheep was bred in the forties of the twentieth century precisely in the Volga region, on the collective farms of the Kuibyshev region, which gave the name to the breed. Aboriginal ewes were taken as ewes - sheep of the Cherkassy breed, which are classified as coarse-wool, and rams of the Romney-Marsh breed - fine-wooled, “aristocrats” that quickly gain weight and are of English origin. The crossing led to excellent results.

The sheep bred as a result of crossing are externally similar to the Romney March sheep, since their external characteristics are transmitted mainly through the paternal line - the same strong build, legs of medium length and strong, the head is wide and the neck is short, the body is long, barrel-shaped, and rams, and bright polled ones. The weight of rams is usually in the range of 60-70 kg, the weight of adult rams is in the range of 100-110 kg, in some individuals it reaches 150 kg or more. The fertility of queens of the Kuibyshev breed is 120-130%, which is a good indicator.

Their wool is white, uniform, the fineness is generally 50-58 quality, the wool is a little worse, the rams are better, the wool itself is quite shiny, with a large crimp. The structure of the fleece is more like a staple-braided one, the length of the wool reaches 15 cm, the yield of washed wool is within 55-60%. Animals of this breed are usually shorn twice a year - in the spring, when the fat content in the wool becomes sufficient, and in the fall. When shearing a ram, they usually get about 6 kg, and from a lamb, a little more than 4.5 kg of wool.

The Kuibyshev breed is classified as a semi-fine-wool sheep breed with a meat-and-wool tendency. These sheep are distinguished by their early maturity, and at 6-7 months of age the lambs reach a weight of 40-45 kg with good fattening. The increase in muscle tissue relative to the increase in fat mass at this age is maximum, and the cost of feed is minimal, so it is economically profitable to carry out intensive fattening at this particular time. For example, by adding barley to your diet, you can gain more weight and improve the quality of meat.

Since sheep are initially grazing animals, it is necessary to combine housing in stalls with walking on pastures.
Unshorn sheep do not require a heated room even in winter; they are quite happy with the temperature in the sheepfold plus 3-5 °C.
Vegetables eaten by sheep are preferably given in cut form, mixed with roughage.
Sheep should be transferred to a fattening diet, especially a new one, gradually, since from a sudden transition they begin to suffer from indigestion and lose weight.
It is very important to sufficiently provide sheep with drinking water and salt during fattening.
Hay offered to sheep for food should not contain burrs, thorns, or anything else that contaminates the wool.
By forcibly increasing the daylight hours in the first half of the night, using artificial lighting, you can achieve an increase in the time of active eating of food and, accordingly, weight gain of up to 25-27%.

Summing up, we can say with confidence that sheep breeding in the conditions of modern Russia and Ukraine is becoming an economically profitable business, both for individual farms and for large livestock complexes. There is no need to go to ancient Colchis in search of the legendary Golden Fleece, when it is nearby - truly “golden”! This is an amazing breed of semi-fine wool meat-wool sheep bred in Russia - Kuibyshevskaya.

A great achievement of domestic selection during Soviet times was the Kuibyshev breed of sheep. Bred back in the 40s of the 20th century, they are still in great demand among livestock breeders, both in large farms and in private households. The successful crossing of Circassian sheep with English Romney Marsh rams gave the world an unpretentious, stable breed with excellent characteristics and productivity indicators.

The skeleton of the Kuibyshev sheep is large. The wide head smoothly transitions into a barrel-shaped, elongated body without narrowing in the area of a powerful short neck.

The entire body, except the legs and muzzle, is covered with thick hair. Hair length - up to 15 cm, color - white, darkening is allowed in the area of the ears and around the legs. Staple-braided wool with large curl and sheen, fineness quality 50 – 58.

Reference: Fineness is the thickness of the hair axis of wool, the quality of fineness is the coefficient of uniformity and its properties. The best quality scores for semi-fine fleece sheep are in the 50 to 60 range.

Legs with muscular thighs, short and strong. Sheep and rams are hornless.

Kuibyshev sheep in the pen - photo

External signs of degeneration are: heterogeneity of color, lack of waviness and dullness of the coat, shortening of the body, arching in the back, weakness of the legs.

Production characteristics

Kuibyshev sheep develop quite quickly. By six months, lambs, with optimal feeding regimen, reach 50–60 kg in live weight. At this time, meat has the greatest consumer qualities: a characteristic taste without foreign odors, delicate layers of fat make it marbled. After 9 months, the protein thickens and the product becomes tougher. Adult rams reach 120 kg, and some individuals - 160. The average weight of a sheep is 70 kg, and there are also 90-kg females.

The productivity of the flock is on average 130%. Every third lambing produces twins.

The breed belongs to the meat-fleece direction. In addition to productivity in the form of lambs, rams and ewes supply good semi-fine wool. It is used in industry and in private households. The yield of wool from an adult ram is 5 - 7 kg, from a sheep - 4 - 5, pure dry raw material for spinning can be up to 60%.

Video - Kuibyshev breed of sheep at the All-Russian Sheep Exhibition

Adaptive capabilities of the breed

Kuibyshev sheep and rams perfectly adapt to living conditions. They tolerate both heat and cold well. Endurance and resistance to diseases, resistance to factors that weaken the immune system were among the priority goals when breeding the breed. And they have been achieved: these sheep are not susceptible to colds and do not suffer from overheating of the body.

Reference. An unfavorable living condition is considered to be excessive dampness of the earth and air in the absence of sunlight. Wet hooves and fur create conditions for the perception of fungal diseases.

If the insolation is sufficient, then there are no problems.

Raising Kuibyshev sheep

Properly organized raising of a flock involves the acquisition of sires, the creation of optimal living conditions, balanced nutrition, timely haircuts, regular renewal of sires, and proper care.

Acquisition

It is necessary to buy the founders of a productive herd from reputable breeders or agricultural enterprises. If you are interested in the purebred base of the flock, then you should not purchase lambs from unknown suppliers: a random purchase may result in the loss of qualifying characteristics in the next generation.

Most often, young lambs and ewes are purchased in early spring, at the very beginning of the warm period of the year. In this case, the formation of sheep and lambs occurs in the best conditions, with a sufficient amount of fresh feed and sunlight.

Conditions of detention

Before acquiring the first representatives of the breed, a sheepfold is prepared. Sheep will spend the winter in it, wait out bad weather in warm weather, and breed offspring.

Room

The size of the room must correspond to the number of animals: with all the tolerance and even tendency of sheep to crowd together, each individual should have at least 2 m² of space.

They build a barn from materials that absorb excess moisture and do not cool the air. Brick and concrete without internal cladding will not work. A wooden beam would be a good choice.

Sheep housing - dimensions

In the southern regions, you can do without pouring the floor - sheep are kept directly on the earthen floor. It is often compacted with an additional layer of clay. Bedding is placed on top. It is important to block access to the premises for rodents: metal sheets are dug into the outer perimeter of the building to a depth of at least 20 cm.

In more severe climatic conditions, a concrete floor screed is made. Planks or thick plywood are laid on top. Bedding is required: a layer of sand as an absorbent element for moisture, and straw or dry leaves on top. This will ensure a favorable microclimate in the sheepfold and maintain the temperature at the desired level.

Sheep feeders - sizes

A nursery is set up in the room - a place for storing dry food (hay, brooms, grain), a feeding trough - a container for succulent food (silage, root vegetables) and a drinking bowl - a container for water. There is a separate public mineral feeding station where salt and chalk are constantly kept; each animal regulates their consumption independently.

The compartment for lambing and primary housing of newborn lambs is fenced off in advance.

During construction, windows are made to allow natural light to enter. The ceiling height is at least 1.5 m for ease of maintenance. Often mezzanines are installed under the roof to store hay and brooms for the winter.

Heating is not required in the sheepfold, even in the northern regions: Kuibyshev sheep are alert and active at a temperature in the home of +3 – + 6 °C. In a wooden building in winter, it is provided with the vital activity of the flock.

Grazing

Good development and good health of the livestock is only possible if grazing is provided during the warm season. In addition, this significantly reduces the cost of providing food to animals.

If possible, sheep should spend 14 hours a day outdoors, and it is better to organize round-the-clock grazing. In addition to the fence, you need a canopy with access to water - for relaxation during the hottest hours.

The grazing period is especially useful for growing lambs. Under natural conditions, they gain weight well in the fall.

The full value of pasture forage can be ensured by sowing the necessary grasses in the meadow: clover, alfalfa, and peas. The feeding area for 1 individual is 3 m². When the pasture is depleted, it is advisable to transfer the herd to another place. Portable fences are often used for this purpose. The grass grows back after the sheep eat it in 3 weeks - the flock is returned to its original place.

Reference. When grazing, it is important to inspect sheep daily for skin damage. This occurs when injured by a sharp object (protruding branches, fence nails) or insect bites, and then eggs are laid in the wound. Any wound is thoroughly cleaned (the hair around it is first cut off), treated with brilliant green, peroxide or iodine.

A haircut

Kuibyshev sheep are sheared 1-2 times a year. They have time to cut before the start of spring molting, at the very beginning of spring. Over the summer, the sheep grow new wool, and in the fall the procedure can be repeated. When kept in an unheated room in winter, not all breeders decide to harvest wool in the fall. But a month before the onset of persistent cold weather, it is quite safe.

Diet

Newborn lambs feed on ewe's milk until they are three weeks old. It can be weaned earlier if you plan to mate the female soon for a new fertilization. But in this case you will have to feed the lambs.

From two weeks onwards, succulent feed, hay, brooms, grain and fresh herbs are gradually introduced into the menu of young animals. It is better if the lambs are with their mother at this time - she will ensure their safety and teach them how to eat.

To achieve a weight gain of 1 kg, a lamb requires 5 - 6 feed units. The use of mixed feed is effective, but not rational; it is much cheaper to provide a variety of feed for the season.

Reference. Feed unit is the amount of food corresponding in caloric content to 1 kg of oats.

By two months, the young animals are transferred to the adult diet. Regular nutritious meals ensure good weight gain.

Sheep need clean water at any time of the year. Free access is possible, but not very effective: animals use water extremely carelessly, and the excess left will certainly be clogged or spilled. Therefore, it is better to organize watering 2-3 times a day after feeding. You cannot take water from stagnant sources (ponds, swamps), or use unsettled tap water. Chlorine disappears from a container of water within 3 hours; this period must be maintained.

A very important aspect of sheep nutrition is the cleanliness of feeders. The immune system, which does not allow diseases due to hypothermia or overheating, is powerless when bacteria from poor-quality food enter the body - the risk of poisoning and persistent indigestion is very high.

Development

By 3–6 months, lambs reach slaughter weight. Owners of private farms rarely keep young animals in winter - adequate feeding of adolescents is not economically justified. By autumn, only queens and rams remain in the herd.

In mid-late autumn, the foundation for spring recruitment is laid: a lamb is allowed into the sheep for about a month. One male is enough for 20 – 30 females. If there are two rams, then they must be taken from different farms, and the herds must be separate.

Survival lasts about 5 months. Lambing occurs at the end of winter - beginning of spring. 7 - 10 days before the due date, the sheep's wool is trimmed under the tail and around the nipples. The expectant mother is transferred to a separate section of the sheepfold, where after the birth of the lambs the temperature is maintained at about 15°C. During lambing, the presence of the owner is important: Kuibyshevkas rarely need help, but it is necessary to ensure that the mother licks the newborn and allows it to approach the udder. The umbilical cord should also be cut and the placenta removed to prevent the mother from eating it.

Video - Keeping sheep in winter

Duration of productivity

Sheep can live 20 – 25 years. But with regular lambing and feeding, the body of a productive sheep wears out much earlier: by 7–8 years, the offspring weakens, a change of sires is necessary. Therefore, new, most promising youngsters are grown from young animals. Rams are purchased externally to avoid inbreeding.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at 8 months, but sheep and lambs are bred closer to a year. The reproductive cycle is most often planned so that the offspring appear in early spring and spend most of their lives grazing.

Thus, the Kuibyshev sheep can become a regular supplier of meat, wool and even fermented milk products (in particular sheep cheese). Dressing hides and sewing sheepskin products is a separate branch of sheep breeding, which also requires study, but is quite applicable as an additional source of income.

Meeting the family's needs for complete dietary protein and high-quality wool when breeding Kuibyshev sheep is a reality. The unpretentiousness of the breed has gained recognition among many generations of livestock breeders. Surplus products can be easily sold on the agricultural market.

Video - Kuibyshev breed of sheep. Description

When choosing a sheep breed, the breeder pays attention not only to productivity, but also to such aspects as acclimatization, type of feeding, housing, and socialization. The Kuibyshev breed of sheep combines the best qualities, which has led to its wide popularity and distribution. The article provides a description of the species with all its positive and negative sides, as well as features of maintenance and feeding.

How did the breed appear?

For a long time, exclusively English breeds of sheep were distinguished by their endurance, productivity, quickly adapted to any conditions, and were also distinguished by their early maturity. It was this standard that Russian breeders looked up to when developing a new species (Kuibyshevsky). It was important for scientists to create a local breed, because then it would be ideal for the Russian climate, and the price of young animals would be significantly lower in comparison with English specimens.

In the 1940s, breeders managed to obtain a suitable individual after crossing a female “Cherkasy” breed and a “Romney Marsh” ram originally from England. The resulting species was named after the Kuibyshev region, in which it was bred.

Description and characteristics of the Kuibyshev breed

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Externally, the Kuibyshev breed of sheep looks very cute; representatives of the species have funny faces, as if they had just come out of a cartoon. But in fact, these are powerful individuals, with a muscular, elongated body and strong bones. All parts of the body are proportional, nothing stands out. Legs are short. The neck is strong, the head is wide. The ears protrude from the sides of the head. There are no horns.

The entire body is covered with thick, dense white hair. There is no hair on the face and ears, there is little hair on the lower legs, or near the hooves. Slight darkening of the ears and legs is acceptable, but other parts of the body have exclusively white fur and skin. The structure of the fleece can be spatula or spatula-braided.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the species?

The advantages of the Kuibyshev breed of sheep include its productive indicators and some qualities associated with keeping and breeding individuals.

Among the shortcomings of the species, it is worth noting that the Kuibyshev sheep breed needs good pastures, poor pastures are not suitable for them, they simply will not find anything to eat there. The second disadvantage is the difficulty of finding a breeding animal. It is difficult to find lambs of this breed without impurities, especially for an inexperienced breeder.

What conditions of detention do they need?

Although the Kuibyshev breed is resistant to cold weather, the presence of a stall is mandatory in any case. Animals are sheared there, and you can hide from severe frost, snow, rain, and scorching sun. The optimal temperature inside should range from +5 to +20 degrees throughout the year.

The housing area is spacious, openable windows are required, but they are located at a high altitude so that animals do not jump out in them (and this happens)! Ventilation and primitive wall insulation also need to be provided. It is important that the stall is not damp. Significant humidity is the cause of most diseases. Of course, artificial lighting is necessary to extend the day on cloudy days and for the breeder's convenience.

There should be no sharp corners, protruding nails or similar dangerous objects in the stalls and in the general area. The fact is that with strong jostling, individuals can get injured, but the wound is not visible behind the thick fur. If the problem is not noticed in time, the animal may die from infection.

24-hour keeping in a stall is excluded. Walking is important not only for animals - thanks to pasture keeping, a breeder can save a lot of money. The breed was bred as a steppe breed, so it finds most of its daily diet in the fields during grazing. Fresh air, walks - such warm-ups have a beneficial effect on the animal’s body, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems.

The Kuibyshev sheep breed can be grazed all year round, provided that the layer of snow on the pasture is not thick and the temperatures are moderate.

Cleaning the stall should be carried out as it gets dirty! Bowls and drinking bowls are cleaned every day. It is necessary to regularly examine sheep, their heads (ears, eyes), legs (hooves), and wool. Any oddities should not pass without due attention; it is important to seek help from a qualified veterinarian in a timely manner.

Haircuts are carried out 1-2 times a year. It is advisable to do this so that in winter the animal has thick hair and not shorn, otherwise the stalls will have to be heated.

Another point that should not be forgotten is vaccination. It is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of a veterinarian and is mandatory for all sheep and rams.

How and what to feed Kuibyshev sheep?

As mentioned above, the animal finds most of its diet under its feet during grazing. Sheep should be fed in the stall in the morning and evening (immediately after they wake up and an hour before bedtime). Mixtures of barley and oats, hay, straw, cake, bran, silage, and root vegetables (chopped) are given as feed. Hay per day is needed within 2 kg per head, and grain, root crops, silage and the like in the total amount - 400-500 grams.

The hay is simply laid out in each stall for the sheep to eat whenever they want, and the grain and other foodstuffs are scattered into feeders set up either in each stall or in a common area. Only in the second case, you need to make sure that there is enough food for everyone, otherwise fights cannot be ruled out.

On rainy, snowy days, during significant cold snaps, strong winds or heat, the Kuibyshev breed of sheep must be kept in a stall so that the individuals do not get sick and the wool does not deteriorate. In such cases, the breeder should have reserves of hay and healthy grass so that he can feed them to the flock during the day, instead of walking them.

Young animals are gradually transferred to the diet familiar to adults. From 2 weeks, in addition to milk, they should begin to eat hay, grain, fresh herbs, and crushed root vegetables can be introduced. From 2 months, individuals completely switch to food for adult sheep.

Clean water should be available in the stall at all times; you can make one large trough or several small ones hung on the walls. An alternative could be a simple bucket in each individual stall, but you need to change the water in it several times a day.

Sheep were domesticated in ancient times - about eight thousand years ago. The first flocks of small artiodactyls appeared on the territory of modern Syria, Turkey, and the northern regions of Mesopotamia. The animal provided wool, meat, milk, and skin. It is not surprising that breeders have been striving for many years not only to increase productivity, but also to improve the quality of products obtained in the sheep industry. It is especially profitable to keep animals with combined productivity, for example, meat-and-wool animals, which include sheep of the Kuibyshev breed.

Story

Soviet breeders were faced with the task of obtaining strong, hardy, highly productive animals suitable for breeding in conditions of a sharply continental climate. The work began in 1936 and lasted for 12 years. In 1948, at the Koshkinsky State Breeding Station, the painstaking work of scientists ended in success - the Kuibyshev breed of sheep was approved.

The original breeds were, on the one hand, English Romney Marsh rams, and on the other, local Cherkassy rams. Both breeds had their advantages, the combination of which promised to give a good result:

Romney March- meat-and-wool breed, hardy, gain weight well on pastures, have strong bones and physique, polled, resistant to helminthic diseases and hoof rot, and pass on their characteristics well to their descendants.
Cherkasy- bred in the north of the Samara (then) province, the animals are distinguished by their hairiness from head to hind legs, most are polled, perfectly adapted to the conditions of Russia, tolerate cold and heat well, are unpretentious, and are distinguished by high fertility.

Romney Marsh sheep began to be imported into Russia in the mid-19th century. Unfortunately, purebred animals suffered from vitamin deficiency. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in their homeland, sheep were on pasture almost all year round, receiving plenty of fresh grass. To get rid of the problem, it was decided to develop a new breed based on local sheep.

Crossbreeds of the first and second generations inherited the best qualities of their parents, but subsequent breeding of sheep did not give the desired result. They began to select the most successful animals up to the second generation and breed them “inside”. Thus, the Kuibyshev breed was obtained.

Description

The Kuibyshev breed sheep (described below) belongs to the long-haired, semi-fine-fleece group of the meat-wool breed. Its features are as follows:

Torso - barrel-shaped, long with massive bones. The constitution is strong, the loin and back are wide and straight. The withers are muscular, the neck is fleshy and short. The chest is deep with a noticeably prominent dewlap. The ribs are rounded, typical for beef breeds.
Head - wide, polly. This feature guarantees the absence of accidental injuries to both animals and service personnel. The fur reaches almost to eye level.
Limbs - short, very strong, distinguished by a large girth of the pastern, correctly set, hips are well developed. The animals inherited resistance to foot rot from their father's breed.
Wool- shiny, homogeneous, staple-braided fleece. Hair length is from 12 to 15 cm, fineness is 27-34 microns.
Live weight- the average weight of males is 90-120 kg, the maximum is 150 kg, females are somewhat lighter - 60-70 kg, individual individuals can weigh up to 110 kg.
Fertility- high - 120-130%. Every third yule brings twins.

Productivity

Sheep farming is one of the most profitable branches of livestock farming. The rapid return on costs is facilitated by the precocity of animals, their fertility and the quality of the products obtained from them. These indicators are quite high for the Kuibyshev breed of sheep. Productivity characteristics:

Meat. Lambs develop very quickly and already at four months weigh an average of 33 kg, and at six months - up to 45 kg. By 10 months they gain 75% of the weight of an adult animal. Adults on average “pull” 65-110 kg, rams weigh more. The slaughter yield is 51-60%. The meat has excellent taste and does not have a specific smell. A distinctive feature is its “marbling”. Muscle tissue alternates with fatty layers, giving the meat a beautiful presentation and juiciness in ready-made dishes.

Wool. Sheep are sheared twice a year, less often once - only in the spring. One ram is shorn up to 6 kg, from females - up to 4.5 kg. After washing, the wool yield is up to 60%, the average is 57%. Uniform, coarsely crimped wool is mainly used for the production of knitted products.
Dairy. During the lactation period, up to 2 liters of milk per day can be obtained from the suckling milk. This is an excellent raw material for making cheese.

The animals are unpretentious in keeping. During the grazing season, the flocks spend most of the day in the fresh air (up to 15 hours). It’s good if you have the opportunity to herd sheep around the clock. In this case, a watering hole is arranged at the grazing site, and canopies are installed where the animals can hide from bad weather or too hot sun. Spring shearing of sheep leaves the animal's body unprotected from direct sunlight.

During the stall period, the premises of the sheepfold must meet the following sanitary requirements:

one head must have at least 2 m2 of area;
the temperature should not fall below +5 o C;
optimal building material - wood, concrete and brick structures require additional insulation;
to create a good microclimate, a reliable ventilation system is necessary;
floor made of soil or clay;
bedding: first a layer of sand (it works as drainage), then a layer of straw - this will provide warmth;
To protect animals from rodents, a metal fence (mesh or metal sheets) is dug along the perimeter of the building to a depth of at least 30 cm.

To maintain healthy livestock, the premises must be dry. Animals can withstand low temperatures, but will get sick if the sheepfold is damp.

Feeding

The Kuibyshev breed sheep is adapted for a long stay on the pasture. In the spring and summer, the main food is fresh grass. Grazing at a rate of at least 3.5 m2 of area per head with free access to water. Salt, chalk and other mineral supplements should be in the feeders all year round. Animals will not overeat, since they are able to independently determine their daily intake.

During the stall period, hay and straw are used from roughage; barley is preferable from cereals. It is better to soak special feed for sheep so that dust does not clog the animals’ nostrils. Root vegetables and silage are suitable as juicy ones. It is important to provide animals with access to a feeder (at a rate of 25-30 cm per head) and free access to water around the clock. Modern sheepfolds are often equipped with automatic drinkers. Drinkers and feeders are kept clean.

Keeping lambs together with their mothers will give young animals the opportunity to quickly learn everything from adults. When kept separately, lambs are fed milk for two weeks, then hay, grains, and green grass are introduced into the diet. The final transition to “adult” nutrition occurs at the age of 2.5 months. A sudden change in diet is undesirable; it can lead to indigestion, even death of animals.

Reproduction

Raising sheep is not particularly difficult. Mating is carried out in mid or late autumn. Only one ram is allowed per group of lambs. It is capable of fertilizing up to 30 heads. One month is enough for full mating.

Pregnancy lasts 19-20 weeks. Mass lambing occurs in early spring. Thus, by the time the lambs go out to pasture, they may well be eating green grass. Preparing for childbirth includes trimming the hair in the udder and tail area about a week before birth. The temperature in the maternity room should be at least 15 o C. Assistance during birth is provided only if necessary, usually cutting the umbilical cord and ensuring that all lambs are allowed into the udder.

A fairly high fertility rate - 120-130% - indicates how many lambs a Kuibyshev breed sheep produces. This means that on average up to 130 lambs are born per hundred head. Life expectancy is up to 24 years, but animals show good productivity up to 8 years. Some experts recommend keeping animals for no more than four years.

To repair the broodstock, the best lambs from the young stock are selected. The lambs are fattened for meat and removed from the flock. This helps avoid inbreeding. Males are selected from other herds.

Distribution area

Currently, the population is not as large as in the Soviet period. Flocks of thousands were slaughtered, which brought the breed to the brink of extinction. Today, Kuibyshev breed sheep are bred in the Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk, Yaroslavl, Samara regions, Tatarstan, and Mordovia. They are perfectly adapted to the conditions of the Volga region and are distributed throughout the Volga basin. Animals are also bred in other countries, in Bulgaria and Ukraine.

Advantages and disadvantages

Judging by the reviews of livestock breeders, sheep of the Kuibyshev breed have a number of advantages:

adapt well to various conditions;
quickly gain weight on pasture, without additional costs;
marbled meat is odorless and has high taste;
high fertility ensures quick repair of the herd;
soft and thick wool is in demand.

The disadvantages are considered:

heterogeneity of wool in fineness (depending on the breed of the animal and climatic conditions);
on dry pastures they gain weight poorly.

Sheep in private farming

More than a hundred breeds of sheep are bred in Russia. Each of them is beneficial in its own way for a particular region. In a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, the Kuibyshev breed of sheep would be an excellent choice. Reviews from sheep farmers are clear: this is an excellent breed for personal backyards and breeding on farms. In terms of meat quality, it surpasses similar domestic ones. Rams are often used to improve the local sheep population; they have proven themselves in cross-breed selection.

They quickly recoup the investment; 10 months after birth, the animals are ready for slaughter. They produce meat of amazing taste, which is in steady demand in the modern market, which makes breeding animals of this particular breed a profitable business. An additional few kilograms of good quality wool from each individual only adds to the attractiveness and determines the widespread use of the breed.

The Kuibyshev breed of sheep is one of the most popular long-haired varieties of domestically bred sheep. Kuibyshev sheep manage to maintain their leadership position thanks to their good productive qualities: in addition to tasty meat, the sheep supply good semi-fine wool. Kuibyshev sheep are famous for their unpretentiousness to living conditions and have strong immunity to typical sheep diseases.

Today we will talk about the history of this breed, talk about the characteristics of Kuibyshev sheep, the external characteristics of the animals, their maintenance and nutrition.

Kuibyshev sheep “were born” in the mid-40s of the 20th century. The selection was carried out by specialists from the Koshkinsky state breeding center (state breeding station) of the Kuibyshev region in 1936-1948. Scientists have been trying for several years to create a beef breed with high quality tonin. They crossed various breeds of sheep, including Cherkassy and Romney Marsh (English sheep).

As a result, a very promising breed appeared, the main advantages of which were endurance, excellent health and excellent adaptive qualities (which is very important in the difficult Russian climate). And in terms of productive indicators, Kuibyshev sheep were no different from their English relatives, from which they, in fact, originated.

Breed characteristics

Rams and lambs of this breed are early maturing. They quickly reach slaughter age. Already in six months, males reach 60 kilograms of live weight, and females - 44 kilograms. The fastest growth is observed in young animals in the summer, when the animals are free-range. By 10 months, the sheep's skeleton is fully formed and the sheep is considered an adult.

Animals slaughtered before one year of age have the highest quality meat. The consistency of the meat is loose, tender, and boils quickly. There are no foreign odors in its taste. The older the animal, the tougher and fattier its meat becomes, and a specific “mutton” aroma appears.

Important point! The meat of Kuibyshev sheep is valued among lamb lovers for its “marbling”. It is achieved through thin fat deposits between muscle fibers.

Kuibyshev sheep are readily kept not only by large industrial farms, but also by private owners. Animals have the ability to easily adapt to environmental conditions, are not picky about housing, and willingly eat any food. Temperature changes, frequent precipitation and heat do not affect the well-being of the flock.

Productive qualities:

The weight of a ram ready for slaughter is 105 kilograms, the uterus is 72 kilograms.
percentage of wool yield - 55% (5-7 kilograms per ram and up to 5 kilograms per uterus);
quality of fineness (thickness of the axis of a wool hair) – 55%.

Appearance description

Kuibyshev sheep are characterized by a strong, well-built physique. The body is overgrown with semi-fine hair with a uniform structure.

Exterior:

the body is cylindrical, slightly elongated;
the head is wide, sits on a short powerful neck, which goes into a powerful body;
animals, regardless of gender, are hornless;
legs are short, strong, muscular;
powerful thighs;
staple-braided wool, large curl, hair length - 15 centimeters;
there is no hair on the legs and face;
The main color of the coat is milky with barely noticeable darkening in the parietal region and on the hips.

Defects in the standard:

uneven color, presence of foreign shades;
the coat is without shine and does not curl;
short body;
there is a deflection in the back area;
poorly developed limbs.

Keeping sheep in a private farmstead is not a difficult task. In the Russian climate, farmers use a combined system of keeping animals, that is, in the winter the herd is in a stall, and in the summer it is taken out to pasture.

From October to the end of April, sheep are kept in sheepfolds. The Kuibyshev breed of sheep easily tolerates low temperatures, and therefore, with a small population, sheep are kept in an unheated barn, next to other livestock. In bitterly cold weather, the room is heated using a portable stove, ensuring that the temperature drops no lower than +8 degrees.

There are no special requirements for housing for sheep. The main thing is that the barn has good ventilation and an insulated floor. The fact is that sheep’s weak point is their hooves - it is on them that all the “sores” are concentrated. Therefore, to prevent the flock from getting sick, it is better to build the floor from wooden planks, and then cover it with warm straw bedding, which should always remain clean and fresh. In addition, the stall should never be wet. A good ventilation system will provide fresh air.

Necessary conditions for keeping sheep:

a herd of 10 animals requires an area of 20 square meters;
the room is equipped with a window for the influx of sunlight;
Ventilation is required in the sheepfold. Otherwise, you need to carry out daily ventilation yourself;
If the shed is made of wood, then there is no need to insulate it additionally. A sheepfold made of brick or stone is much colder, so it’s worth thinking about the heating system in advance;
The floor covering must be continuous - made of clay or soil. The top cover is covered with straw for warmth.

Important point! The most dangerous enemies of sheep are rodents. Therefore, when arranging a sheepfold, you need to make a metal structure around the perimeter of the room, digging it to a depth of 30-40 centimeters so that mice and rats do not get into the stall.

As a rule, there are much fewer males in a flock than females. For 10 lambs, 1-2 rams are usually left, which act as inseminators. Rams and females are kept in the same room, but if you want to control the appearance of young animals, the males are moved to a separate place.

Females are ready for fertilization at eight months of age, but farmers advise delaying the mating process until at least one year of age. Early age can lead to the appearance of deformed, underdeveloped offspring.

Kuibyshev sheep are known for their excellent health, but if they are poorly cared for, they can develop various infections. Therefore, experts recommend vaccination according to the vaccination calendar. An experienced livestock specialist should inspect the flock every trimester. When a sick animal is identified, it is immediately removed from the family.

Animals can live up to 20 years, but the period from 2 to 8 years is considered to be the peak of productivity. There is no point in keeping a sheep any longer, since with age not only the quality of meat and wool decreases, but also fertility.

Sheep are shy animals. In order for the grazing to take place as calmly as possible and the animals not to scatter in different directions from any rustle, they should be grazed together with goats and horses. Goats, as you know, better remember the way home, and therefore it will be easier for rams to orient themselves in space.

Sheep nutrition

The region where the Kuibyshev breed was created affected the feeding habits of the animals. The breed was created in the Volga region, where the fields are characterized by forbs. In the summer, when grazing freely, sheep eat exclusively juicy fresh grass, which provides them with a variety of vitamins.

On summer grasses, young animals grow many times faster, and their meat becomes juicy and aromatic. At that time, sheep raised in the southern drylands will not be highly productive. Moreover, on meager fields, animals gain weight more slowly, they often suffer from vitamin deficiency, and develop health problems.

The sheep diet consists of pasture, root crops, and melons. The basis of the diet consists primarily of hay and green grass. Most readily, lambs and rams eat legumes and small meadow herbs. If pasture is scarce, then the sheep are supplemented with straw, but it is offered to animals only when there is a shortage of hay, since straw affects the fatness of the animal used for meat.

30% of the diet consists of succulent feed. It is used to make wet mash from root crops, melons and silage. Mature sheep should eat up to three kilograms of vegetables per day, young sheep - 1-2 kilograms. Before feeding, vegetables are chopped, and in winter they are also boiled.

Table 1. How to properly feed sheep

Illustration	Description
	The majority of the diet should be fresh grass and high-quality hay. If pasture with green grass is available to animals all year round, you don’t have to feed them anything.
	Don't overfeed sheep with grain! Pure grain contains too much copper, which is harmful to animals, so sheep should only be fed mixtures designed specifically for them.
	Hay and other feed should not be stored for longer than 30-40 days, as mold can grow inside, which is toxic to sheep.
	Take care of the availability of salt or a special mineral-salt supplement, which should always be readily available to sheep.

Nutrition of pregnant queens

The quality of feeding of pregnant females affects not only pregnancy, but also the delivery and health of future offspring. If the uterus experiences a deficiency of one product or another during pregnancy, the lambs will be born weak and grow poorly. In the future, they will develop low-quality wool. Therefore, pregnant queens are fed a variety of foods so that their milk production increases and they can fatten their offspring without any problems.

The queens are fed three times a day with high-calorie, nutritious feed, which quickly saturates the body of an adult sheep and promotes the formation of milk. The diet includes roughage (hay) - 2 kilograms, juicy feed (root vegetables, silage) - 3 kilograms and concentrates - 400-500 grams per day.

During the lactation period, Yarka eats twice as much food per day as during the normal period. During this time, sheep are fed 4-5 times a day in small portions. The amount of different food is adjusted depending on the number of suckling lambs.

After the lambs grow up and begin to feed on adult food on their own, the lambs are fattened in order to restore fatness for the new breeding period. For 1-2 months, the yak is fed with fresh grass, as it affects the productive qualities of the female individual.

Sheep grazing

The transition to summer free range and a fresh herbal diet should be smooth. Since fresh grass consists mostly of water, sheep may experience intestinal upset in the first days out of habit. In order to avoid such problems, the herd is supplemented with roughage in the evenings. The grass contains a lot of potassium, which can lead to sodium deficiency. This element can be replenished by giving the sheep table salt once a day.

Sheep are usually herded in a spread out front, with the shepherds walking immediately in front of the herd and behind. With this type of grazing, sheep rarely stray from the flock and eat better by staying close to their relatives. In the morning they graze animals on scarce pastures, gradually moving to better ones.

Sheep are taken out to the meadows early in the morning, while the grass contains more beneficial nutrients. From 12.00 to 14.00 animals should rest in the shade and next to a pond.

Important point! The farmer faces an important task in properly organizing sheep watering. For one kilogram of dry food, one individual needs three liters of water. The lack of fluid is very difficult for the animal to tolerate. Regular thirst weakens the animal and leads to toughening of the meat.

Adults drink up to 5 liters of water per day, 6 liters in the summer heat. Drinking water must be warm, otherwise it will cause colds. The optimal water temperature is 10 degrees.

Breeding

Kuibyshev females are very fertile. Often a queen can give birth to twins and even triplets (flock productivity is 130%). Lambing usually occurs without complications and does not require farmer intervention in the process. The physique of a sheep allows it to give birth to babies without any problems. The delivery process lasts on average 30-40 minutes. The newborn lamb should be placed in a special container.

A productive ewe can give birth twice in a year. The first mating takes place in mid-autumn. The animal's pregnancy lasts 140-145 days, Based on this, offspring should be expected by the end of winter.

Okot

Before lambing, a shed is prepared for the sheep and its offspring - a warm, cozy room with a temperature of at least +5 degrees Celsius. The female is not afraid of cold weather, but the lambs are born frail and need constant warmth, at least for the first two to three weeks of life. The shed is built in the quietest windless place on the farm. The floor in the room is covered with straw or hay. In the corner the bedding is made thicker than in other places. It is there that the young sheep generation will appear.

A couple of days before an important event, it is necessary to trim the thick hair under the tail and near the udder. This will make the lambing process easier and will help the baby find his mother’s “breast” faster.

After lambing, the lamb is dried and placed under the ewe so that the baby can taste colostrum for the first time. The first streams are expressed to reduce the flow of milk, otherwise the lamb will gag and indigestion will occur.

Advantages and disadvantages

Kuibyshev sheep are popular not only in Russia, they are also bred in many European countries. These are quite economical animals, their profitability is high. Along with this, this breed has some disadvantages that can complicate raising a herd and reduce profitability. We have reflected this data in the table.

Table 2. Pros and cons of the breed

Summarizing

The Kuibyshev breed of sheep is a pretty good option for a private farmstead. Even with a small flock, sheep breeding can become a very profitable business. However, before purchasing Kuibyshev sheep, you should evaluate the possibility of nearby pastures - whether they can provide adequate fattening for the animals. Otherwise, you will not be able to achieve quality meat and wool.