Difference between ram and sheep. Meat breeds of sheep, meat sheep

Almost everyone knows that a sheep and a ram are two opposite sexes of the same animal species. But not everyone has the knowledge of how to distinguish these individuals among themselves, even in a small flock. Meanwhile, the differences between a ram and a sheep are quite pronounced and easily traced.

Description of the animal

Surely everyone knows what a sheep looks like. This animal belongs to the order of artiodactyls and, like the goat, is a member of the bovid family. Sheep presumably originated from mouflons (wild sheep) that live in the mountains. And these animals owe their current appearance to a man who domesticated sheep and for many centuries was engaged in their selection.

As for the specific features of the appearance of the animal, they vary greatly depending on the breed and living conditions. The most characteristic nuances of the exterior of these animals include the following:

• long, thick, curly hair in small ringlets (only in some breeds does it grow straight, without curls);
• thick horns, twisted in a spiral (as in the case of wool, there are completely polled varieties);
• strong legs with developed muscles;
• strong hooves, characterized by a forked front.

Outwardly, sheep are quite similar to domestic goats. But in addition to the shape of the horns and thick wool, the former also differ in larger dimensions. The weight of living creatures, depending on the breed and gender, varies between 70-200 kg.

By nature, sheep are herd animals. They feel most comfortable in a large flock. At the same time, the individual maintenance of animals causes them serious stress, which affects growth and development.

Reference. In total, today there are over 800 breeds of sheep. All of them are divided into meat, dairy, wool and combined areas of productivity.

Are sheep and ram the same thing?

The question of the similarity of the concepts "sheep" and "ram" involves certain difficulties. They lie in the fact that each of these words in the Russian language implies two interpretations at once. In accordance with the first, a “ram” is a whole genus (classification unit), which includes several various kinds animals. "Sheep" suggests only one species from the genus of sheep, which was domesticated by man.

The second meaning of the terms is narrower. It presupposes various gender within the same species of domestic animals. A ram is a male in a flock. A sheep is a female who is responsible for childbearing and feeding the young.

Thus, these two concepts cannot be taken as one and the same. In both cases, they suggest different interpretations.

How to distinguish a female from a male?

If a ram and a sheep are not the same animal, then it should be clearly distinguished how they differ from each other. If we take these terms in the narrow sense, then representatives of different sexes differ from each other in several ways. characteristic features, the main ones being:

• Weight. Sheep, regardless of breed, weigh 1.5 times more than a sheep. On average, an adult ram reaches a weight of 100-120 kg, and the weight of a female does not exceed 70-75 kg.
• The presence of horns. In most cases, only male sheep have horns. Females differ in hornless. But this sign is not always true. There are completely hornless breeds. And in some varieties, horns are present even in females.
• The structure of the genital organs of animals.
• The presence of an udder. Sheep milk is highly valued in cooking among some peoples. But only sheep can give such products, because they have an udder. Feeding offspring is not included in the function of rams, therefore they do not have mammary glands.

Certain differences lie in the behavior of animals. So, males are characterized by rivalry for females in the flock, frequent manifestations of aggression in the direction of other males. Females, on the other hand, are calm and unquestioningly follow other members of the herd.

What is the name of a baby sheep?

In addition to certain difficulties in understanding the difference between a ram and a sheep, many also do not know the correct name for the cub resulting from their mating. Quite often, the answer to this question is such comical terms as "ram", "sheep", "sheep" and other similar ones. But none of these concepts is official.

The common word for a baby sheep is "lamb". That is what the young of these animals are called before it enters puberty. In sources related to religion, the name “lamb” is also often found similar in sound. But it is not considered generally accepted and refers, as a rule, to the cubs of the sheep, which were determined for sacrifices in ancient times.

As for the term "lamb", it is not possible to reliably trace its origin. But the prevailing majority of researchers agree that the concept is based on the Latin word "agnus", which means "sheep" in translation. A suffix indicating a small individual was added to such a basis in Russian.

What is the name of lamb meat?

And finally, it should also be clarified what the sheep meat is called, because this question also implies its own nuances. The generally accepted name for meat products obtained from the slaughter of sheep is "lamb". This is the word for the meat of this category on the market.

But a more specific approach to the issue involves dividing all sheep meat into two separate categories:

1. Lamb. This concept refers to meat products obtained from one-year-old lambs.
2. Mutton. Directly mutton is called the meat of animals whose age exceeds one year.

Reference. Among lovers of such meat products, lamb is valued much higher. It is believed that the pulp of one-year-old lambs contains significantly more useful properties. In addition, the taste of this meat is more saturated, and the pulp itself has a delicate texture. Naturally, the difference is reflected in the cost of each type of meat products.

Thus, the concepts of a sheep and a ram are correlated depending on the context behind each of the concepts. IN broad sense this different units classification of animal species of the bovid family. A narrower meaning implies under these terms the name of a female and male individual within the same type of domestic animal. In the second case, there is a clear number of signs by which, taking into account the characteristics of the breed, one can easily distinguish a ram from a sheep.

Hello dear readers, from this article you will learn what breeds of sheep exist, which breeds of sheep are best suited for meat breeding, and you can also watch a video of meat breed sheep, enjoy reading!

Sheep grow up very fast Therefore, breeding them is quite a profitable business. At 4 months, the lamb is ½ the weight of an adult ram, and by the year the weight reaches 80-90%. With all this, sheep do not need special care. The meat productivity of this cattle depends on the breed, of which there are a huge number today. To begin with, let's get acquainted with the Soviet and Russian breeds.

by the most delicious meat Of course, meat breeds of sheep possess, it’s not in vain that they bear their name, and they are grown not only for the sake of shearing, but for the taste of the finished meat product, so for those who are interested in which breed of sheep has the most delicious meat, we offer a whole list from which you you can choose:

Romanov sheep:

One of the oldest breeds of sheep, sheep which is now quite common. This breed originated in the 18th century in the Yaroslavl region. The breed has a high meat productivity, tk. a female can give birth to more than five lambs.

A young sheep at the age of 7-8 months has a weight of up to 35 kg, adult rams - 80-90 kg each, lambs - 45-50 kg each. Sheep such as Romanov's bring offspring 2-3 times a year. It doesn't depend on the season. They have high milk yield. Sheep of meat breeds are very popular, especially in mountainous areas where cattle breeding is not so widespread.

Gorky breed of sheep

Bred in 1936-1960 by scientists of the Soviet Union. Medium-sized individuals have a strong and light skeleton, as well as well-defined muscles. They reach height at the withers up to 76 cm and weight up to 80 kg. Next, we bring to your attention sheep video

Romney-marsh meat breed sheep

Sheeps This breed has an imposing body shape. The head of such sheep is polled and overgrown to the line of the eyes, the body is long, the loin and sacrum are quite wide, and the legs are strong. It is impossible not to notice their meaty forms. Sheep of this breed can weigh up to 100 kg, uterus - up to 65 kg. Sheep of this species are unpretentious.

Sverokavkazskaya and Tien Shan breed of sheep

Such individuals are endowed with impressive withers. Their back, loins and sacrums are wide, the fleshy neck is short, the hips and thighs are rounded. The meat productivity of this species is quite high. The maximum weight of rams is 110 kg, females - 65 kg, 4-month-old lambs - 33 kg. And again, we suggest you watch the video of the sheep:

Latvian dark-headed sheep breed

The breeding of this breed lasted more than 10 years, by crossing English meat rams, imported from Sweden and England, and local sheep. They have high meat productivity. The physique is strong, deep black chest, which protrudes forward, as well as legs, ears and muzzle. The maximum weight of rams is 100 kg, lambs - 50-55 kg. The breed is growing fast. Check out the sheep video:

Edilbaevsky sheep

The birthplace of this breed is Kazakhstan. Breeding of this type is carried out in the southern steppe regions of Russia. An adult ram weighs an average of 100-120 kg, queens - 65-75 kg, rarely 115 kg. The growth of lambs is quite fast and intensive. This breed is also unpretentious. Watch video of sheep

Hissar breed

One of best breeds in the meat direction. Representatives of this species are the largest in the world. Have good immunity and endurance. The breed is popular in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and some other regions of Russia. They are strong, strong build, with long and dry limbs of a sheep. They have a large hook-nosed head with a short neck. The maximum weight of queens is 80 kg, rams - more than 170 kg.

They also have a very high milk yield, although they have low fertility, but this is justified by a quick weight gain. The wool of these animals contains lanolin, a natural antiseptic. Sheep video:

Productive meat foreign breeds of sheep

These breeds are distinguished by a strong barrel-shaped physique. The maximum weight of rams is 130 kg., queens - 67 kg.

They have good fertility.

Dorper

Bred South Africa in 1930. The meat of this breed is very soft and tender, with a thin layer of fat. The maximum weight of males is 140 kg, females - 95. They adapt to any weather conditions. Videos sheep

Vendée sheep breed

Ancient French breed. The meat quality is very pronounced. The wool is thick. The maximum weight of rams is 150 kg, females - 110 kg, newborn lambs - 6 kg. They adapt to any natural conditions.

Zwartbles

The breed appeared in Holland in the 20s of the twentieth century. The meat of these animals is lean, very tasty and soft. The maximum weight of rams is 130 kg, sheep - 100. Thanks to thick wool, it is easy to endure frost, dampness and wind.

Texel

It began its origin in Roman times and was fully formed at the end of the 19th century. The maximum weight of rams is 140 kg, sheep 125 kg, small lambs 7 kg.

Carcasses, regardless of age, have a large number of muscle tissue and slaughter mass. The meat is tender and doesn't take long to cook. The breed is also unpretentious.

All of these breeds have excellent meat productivity. But for effective productivity, proper feeding is required.

Video of the Texel sheep breed:

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, in the northern regions of Mesopotamia. The animal gave wool, meat, milk, skin. It is not surprising that for many years breeders have been striving not only to increase productivity, but also to improve the quality of products obtained in the sheep breeding industry. It is especially advantageous to keep animals with combined productivity, for example, meat and wool animals, which also include sheep of the Kuibyshev breed.

History

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

The initial breeds were, on the one hand, English sires of Romney March, on the other hand, local Cherkassy ewes. Both breeds had their own advantages, the combination of which promised to give a good result:

• romney march- meat-and-wool direction, hardy, perfectly fattening live weight on pastures, have a powerful skeleton and physique, polled, resistant to helminthic diseases and hoof rot, well pass their signs to descendants.
• Cherkasy- bred in the north of the Samara (then) province, animals are distinguished by overgrown hair from head to hind legs, most are polled, perfectly adapted to the conditions of Russia, they tolerate cold and heat perfectly, are unpretentious, and are highly prolific.

Romney march sheep began to be imported to Russia from the middle of the 19th century. Unfortunately, purebred animals suffered from beriberi. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in their homeland sheep are practically all year round were in the pasture, getting 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 generation 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 “in themselves”. Thus, the Kuibyshev breed was obtained.

Description

Sheep of the Kuibyshev breed (description given below) belongs to the long-haired, semi-fine-wool group of the meat-wool direction. Its features are as follows:

• Torso - barrel-shaped, long with a massive skeleton. 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 markedly protruding dewlap. The ribs are rounded, typical for meat breeds.
• Head - wide, spiky. This feature guarantees the absence of accidental injuries to both animals and service personnel. The coat reaches almost to the level of the eyes.
• Limbs - short, very strong, characterized by a large girth of the pastern, correctly set, the thighs are well developed. From the paternal breed, the animals inherited resistance to foot rot.
• Wool- shiny, uniform, staple-braid fleece. Hair length - from 12 to 15 cm, fineness - 27-34 microns.
• Live weight - average weight males is 90-120 kg, maximum - 150 kg, females are somewhat lighter - 60-70 kg, some individuals can weigh up to 110 kg.
• Fertility- high - 120-130%. Every third yarochka brings twins.

Productivity

Sheep breeding is one of the most profitable branches of animal husbandry. The early maturity of animals, their fertility and the quality of the products obtained from them contribute to the rapid return on costs. These figures are quite high in the Kuibyshev breed of sheep. Productivity characteristic:

• Meat. Lambs develop very quickly and already at four months they weigh an average of 33 kg, and at six months old - 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 have more weight. Slaughter yield is 51-60%. The meat has excellent taste, has no specific smell. A distinctive feature is its "marbling". Muscle tissue is interspersed with fatty layers, giving the meat a beautiful presentation and juiciness in ready-made dishes.

• Woolen. Sheep are sheared twice a year, less often once - only in spring. From one ram they cut up to 6 kg, from females - up to 4.5 kg. After washing, the yield of wool is up to 60%, average- 57%. Homogeneous, coarsely crimped wool is mainly used for the production of knitwear.
• Dairy. During lactation, you can get up to 2 liters of milk per day from a suckling yarka. It is an excellent raw material for making cheese.

In the content of animals unpretentious. Most of the day during the pasture season, flocks spend on fresh air(up to 15 hours). It is good if it is possible to graze sheep around the clock. In this case, a watering hole is arranged at the grazing site, sheds are installed where animals can hide from bad weather or too hot sun. Sheep shearing in spring leaves the animal's body unprotected from direct sunlight.

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

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

To maintain healthy livestock, the room must be dry. Animals are able to withstand low temperatures, but will get sick if the sheepfold is damp.

Feeding

Sheep of the Kuibyshev breed are adapted for a long stay in the pasture. In spring and summer, the main food is fresh grass. Grazing at the rate of at least 3.5 m 2 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, because they are able to independently determine their daily allowance.

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

The joint maintenance of lambs with mothers will enable the young to quickly learn everything from adults. With a separate content, the lambs are fed with milk for two weeks, then they begin to introduce hay, cereals, and green grass into the diet. The final transition to "adult" nutrition occurs at the age of 2.5 months. A sharp change in diet is undesirable, it can lead to indigestion, up to the death of animals.

reproduction

Breeding sheep is not particularly difficult. Mating is carried out in the middle or end of autumn. Only one ram is allowed in one group of bright women. He is able to fertilize up to 30 goals. One month is enough for full mating.

Pregnancy lasts 19-20 weeks. Mass lambing occurs in early spring. Thus, by the time they enter the pasture, the lambs may well eat green grass. Preparing for childbirth involves trimming the hair around the udder and tail about a week before birth. The temperature in the delivery room should be at least 15 o C. Birthing assistance is provided only if necessary, usually the umbilical cord must be cut and all lambs must be allowed to udder.

About how many lambs a sheep of the Kuibyshev breed brings, says a fairly high fertility rate - 120-130%. This means that on average, up to 130 lambs are born per hundred heads. 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.

For the repair of the broodstock, the best ewes are selected from the young. Lambs are fattened for meat and removed from the flock. This helps to avoid closely related mating. Males are selected from other herds.

Distribution area

Currently, the livestock is not as numerous as in the Soviet period. Flocks of many thousands were slaughtered, which put the breed on the brink of extinction. To date, sheep of the Kuibyshev breed are bred in the territories of Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk, Yaroslavl, Samara regions, in Tatarstan, Mordovia. They are perfectly adapted to the conditions of the Volga region and are distributed throughout the Volga basin. Animals are also bred in the territories of other countries, in Bulgaria, Ukraine.

Advantages and disadvantages

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

• adapt well to different conditions content;
• quickly gain weight on pasture, at no additional cost;
• marbled meat is odorless and has a high taste;
• high fecundity ensures quick repair of the herd;
• soft and thick wool is in demand.

The disadvantages are:

• heterogeneity of wool in fineness (depends on the breed of the animal and climatic conditions);
• in dry pastures they do not gain weight well.

Sheep in a private household

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 will be an excellent choice. The reviews of sheep breeders are unequivocal: this is an excellent breed for a personal farmstead and breeding in farms. In terms of its meat qualities, it surpasses similar domestic ones. Sheep are often used to improve the local sheep population, they have proven themselves in interbreeding.

Investments quickly pay off, 10 months after birth, the animals are ready for slaughter. They give amazingly tasty meat, which is in steady demand for modern market what makes breeding animals of this particular breed profitable business. An extra few pounds of wool good quality with each individual they only add attractiveness and determine the widespread use of the breed.

"Draw me a lamb!" - The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Physiology of sheep

A very interesting fact is that sheep have the same rectangular pupils as octopuses. In addition to these animals, the mongoose and goat also have rectangular eyepieces.

Physiologically, sheep are not able to perceive depth and try to avoid shadows and sharp contrasts between dark and light. They always try to move in the direction of the light.

Lamb peas are often called sheep droppings, which are oval in shape and do not stick together.

Sheep have a very good memory and are able to plan for the future.

Sheep have keen hearing. Extremely frightened by loud noises. They spend a third of their lives in a state of "reverie" and demand peace and quiet. Running away from danger, a sheep may accidentally fall on its back, and if it is not helped, get up or roll over, then lying on its back for a long time, it may die.

Sheep do not like to walk in water or pass through narrow openings. They prefer to move upwind and uphill than downwind and downhill.

A newborn lamb recognizes its mother by her voice. Sheep very often produce twins.

A sheep is a herd animal, she does not feel well and even experiences severe stress if you live alone. The alarm level goes off if she sees other sheep nearby.

Sheep in mythology and religion

One of the characters ancient Greek mythology is Crius - a ram with a golden fleece, who was considered the son of Poseidon and Theophanes. He was sacrificed to the god of war, Ares. It is known from mythology that he had the ability to fly. It was on it that Frix and Gella went to Colchis. According to Hecateus, he had the ability to speak in a human voice, encouraging Frix, he himself ordered to be sacrificed to the gods.

The historical interpretation of this event suggests that Crius was the mentor of Frix, who on the ship managed to deliver Frix to Colchis (Asia), and Gella, not having survived, died on the way. Kriya was sacrificed to the gods by skinning him. Then his skin was gilded and hung in the temple. According to Eratosthenes, the ram himself took off his golden skin, gave it to Phrixus and, having ascended to heaven, became one of the constellations. The constellation Aries is named by the Greeks in honor of Crius, from whose skin the Golden Fleece was obtained.

The ram's horns were considered by the people of Ancient Asia to be a strong magical artifact. So, in ancient Egyptian iconography, the main gods (Khnum - the creator of people, Amon - the god of the Sun) and some of the rulers of Egypt were depicted in the form of a man with a ram's head. And although many adult sheep sort things out with the help of large swirling horns, colliding with each other at high speed, snow sheep do not want to do this for some reason.

Sheep deserve frequent mention in Christianity. Often the flock of Catholic priests is compared to submissive sheep. Sheep are mentioned at least 200 times in the text of the Bible. In the New Testament, people are compared to sheep, and Jesus is compared to the Shepherd and Shepherd. “The Good Shepherd leads them home, and the Lord their God will save them in that day, like sheep, his people.” Some Christian saints patronize shepherds, and some patronize sheep. Jesus Christ is often portrayed as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

IN Slavic mythology the ram is associated with death. According to an ancient Russian belief, after death, suicides turn into sheep, which the devil harnesses to his wagon. About suicides they said: "Damn the ram."

In Madagascar, to this day, sheep are not eaten, as Aboriginal beliefs suggest that the souls of ancestors are embodied in them.

Sheep in predictions

In divination (scapulimancy), a mutton shoulder is used as the main tool for predicting a person's fate. In English, even a special expression has been preserved, which literally means: "read on the shoulder blade." In the process of divination, the right mutton shoulder blade, boiled in water and cleaned of the remains of meat and cartilage, is held over an open fire until the bone cracks. After that, the sorcerer proceeds to "study" the results. The longest longitudinal crack, designated as the "life line", is chosen as the basis. Transverse cracks to the right of the main line portend joyful events In human life; on the left - obstacles and bad omens. The black spot is a sign of death, and the closer it is to the "life line", the faster man you can die.

Sheep in astronomy

Aries is the dot spring equinox. This is one (March 21) of the most significant days per year on earth. It is from this day that the Northern Hemisphere begins summer time. Many peoples, including the Slavs, celebrated New Year exactly on this day.

Sheep domestication

It seems that people and sheep have existed inseparably since time immemorial, but this is not so. Like other types of domestic animals, the sheep was originally a wild animal. The sheep was domesticated by people about 6-8 thousand years ago, according to scientists, in the territory of modern Turkey.

After DNA studies, it became that domesticated sheep have an equal number of chromosomes only with mouflon. It is believed that short-skinned sheep originated from mouflons, from argali - fat-tailed and long-skinned breeds, including fine-wooled breeds, from argali - modern fat-tailed sheep.

From sheep, a person receives wool, meat, skin, milk and cheese (brynza). Sheep meat is called lamb. Castrated rams are called valukhs.

Sheep breeding is one of the most important branches of animal husbandry. Sheep breeding is practiced in many countries and plays a significant role in the economy of many countries. The largest number of sheep is currently in countries such as China (144 million heads) and Australia (98 million)

Many people like to wrap themselves in warm things, knitted from natural wool. And this is not surprising, because the main property of wool is the preservation of heat. Scientists are still unable to synthetically reproduce the raw material as a replacement for natural merino wool. Every year at the Golden Bale auction, elite fabrics are created from this wool. The extremely thin (thickness of 18-19 microns) merino wool is especially valued.

Unlike goats, they quickly get used to new owners and places of residence.

If the sheep graze in an open, unfenced area, then they begin to huddle together and do not move a single step away from each other, but if they see a fence, they feel safe and graze serenely.

Livestock breeders classify sheep according to the type of their tail. The tails of long-fat-tailed sheep are very long and are able to accumulate a sufficient supply of fat when good nutrition. Therefore, farmers sometimes attach small carts or sleds to such a tail so that it does not accidentally peel off, dragging along the ground and stones.

For one shearing, about 10 kg of wool is sheared from an adult healthy sheep.

Rams and sheep have interesting ability remember the image of your shepherd. During the movement of the general herd, driven to a watering place, several flocks of sheep are mixed. However, if the shepherd calls his sheep, then his flock moves away from the water and goes to graze in the pasture. The reason that a strange ram or sheep wandered into the herd is a disease of the ears or eyes. The sheep always follow the shepherd, and it is not the shepherd who drives them from behind.

IN winter time, if the sheep see a standing shepherd, then they surround him with a dense ring, but as soon as he sits down, they begin to disperse and it is likely that they will freeze and die from hypothermia.

Sheep have few ways to protect themselves from predators, they can only quickly run away or group together in one herd. Therefore, shepherds use dogs to collect all the sheep in the flock. Sheep instinctively take the dog for a predator, and gather for protection, trying to protect themselves.

Sheep breeds

The average life expectancy of sheep depends on their breed. The Urial breed has the shortest lifespan (6 years). Long-livers among sheep can be called bighorn sheep, which at home can live up to 24 years.

Mouflons or mountain sheep are one of the few large mammals that live on the mountain slopes, and go to a height of up to 5000 meters above sea level. They prefer rocks and scree. Although most time they graze in alpine meadows, at any slightest danger they hide among the rocks. Animals are extremely shy and easily abandon their habitable places, becoming vagrant, and change their usual paths.

In the mountains of the Middle and Central Asia, including in the south of Siberia, at altitudes from 2400 to 2800 meters above sea level, you can find argali or mountain sheep, or argali (lat. Ovis ammon). Sheep of this species have chic and very heavy horns. Some representatives of argali wear horns weighing up to 35 kg. In our country, he lives in remote mountainous areas and is listed in the Red Book.

There are quite expensive breeds of sheep, the cost of one copy of which reaches $ 2,000,000.

sheep hybrids

There are cases of crossing sheep with other animal species. We are talking about hybrids obtained by crossing a goat and a ram. For example, in 2000 in Botswana, as a result of a long joint keeping, a ram and a goat were crossed. The animal was named "Toast of Botswana". Sheep and goat have different numbers of chromosomes - 54 and 60. Therefore, in most cases, their offspring are most often stillborn. The surviving hybrid managed to inherit the traits of both of its parents at once. He had long wool, like a sheep, and his legs were goat's. The animal had a heavy ram's body. At the age of five, his weight was 93 kilograms (considering that the average weight of an adult ram is 53 ± 13.83 kg). The animal had 57 chromosomes. The hybrid was very active, had an increased libido, and was completely sterile. At the age of 10 months he was castrated.

In New Zealand, a case of the birth of a female hybrid is known, and also from a goat and a ram, the number of chromosomes was also 57. This hybrid was also sterile.

Most interesting fact is that, in France, a similar hybrid managed to give new offspring from a ram. One fetus was stillborn, and the second was alive, male and had 54 chromosomes.

In the Nizhny Novgorod region, Irina Mikhailovna Nemesh in her personal household managed to get offspring from a goat and a sheep. She gave her hybrids the name - "basly" (a combination of the words rams and goats). The hybrids grew somewhat larger than the sheep. Adult bazles looked like sheep in appearance, their wool was similar to the wool of Caucasian shepherd dogs, the undercoat is thinner, and shed in the spring, like a goat. Of the twelve heads of bazles, only three were male. Despite infertility, they had an increased libido.

Sheep incidents

In the coastal city of Helgoisund, Norway, residents and tourists could see a rather ridiculous sight. Having hooked a horn on an electric wire and thus, being in a suspended state, bleated that there is urine, a ram. This happened at a height of 6 meters from the ground, while he did not receive current discharges. The probable reason for how he managed to get the ram there is the following. The animal peacefully nibbled on the grass on the top of the hill and accidentally caught on the wire, and then simply rolled down the hill under its own weight along the wire. Witnesses began to save the poor fellow. This turned out to be a difficult task. The ram, bucking in horror, did not allow the loops of the rope to be thrown over itself. Only an hour later the animal was able to be lowered to the ground safe and sound.

Sheep in science

The first cloned animal in the world is a sheep named Dolly. She was reproduced from a cell taken from her own mammary gland. Jan Wilmuth, leader research group, in an attempt to come up with an association to the mammary glands, he remembered the breasts of the famous American country singer, Dolly Parton. However, few people know that 277 defective clones were destroyed before the experiment to clone a mammal from somatic (non-sex) cells was completed successfully.

Sheep in people's lives

“O sheep, so tame and unpretentious in food. They become so greedy and unbridled that they absorb the people themselves, devastate and depopulate the fields, houses and cities,” Thomas More wrote in his work “Utopia”, describing the events that took place in England in the 17th century during the formation of capitalism. The mass expulsion of defenseless peasants from their settled lands due to the fact that the sheep belonging to the future bourgeoisie had nowhere to graze, led to the mass extermination of the population. According to historians, the population of "good old" England declined from 7% to 30%.

Counting sheep is quite a tedious task as there are so many of them in a flock. Monotonous calculations dull a person's attention and drive him into a meditative state. That's why we're so often told to count sheep when we can't sleep.

Sheep in linguistics

The popular expression in our language “stared like a ram at a new gate” does not refer to sheep at all, as many believe. In ancient times, the soldiers of the Assyrians, and then the Romans, during the assaults on enemy cities and fortresses, broke the gate leaves with the help of a heavy log with a metal knob in the form of a ram's head.

In our speech, we often use the phrase " White crow" to designate a person who differs in behavior or in some other way from a certain designated group of people. In European languages, the analogue of this expression is the idiomatic expression "black sheep". At the same time, Europeans, uttering this phrase, also indicate the undesirability of finding such an individual in this group. In this aspect, the idiom is very close to other Russian expressions - "black sheep".

A medieval French comedy has an episode where a rich clothier sues a shepherd who stole his sheep. During the meeting, the clothier, in a fit of anger, forgets about the shepherd and showers reproaches on his lawyer, who in the past did not pay him for 6 cubits of cloth. The judge interrupts his speech with these words: "Let's go back to our sheep." Subsequently, they became winged.

There are many sayings in Russian that mention sheep. Examples:

From a black sheep, at least a tuft of wool. Rotten apple injures its neighbors.

Sheep in art

The sheep is seen as a symbol of meekness and humility.

The Black Sheep Monument in Savonlinna, London is home to the Shepherd and the Sheep sculpture.

"Sheep Gas Station" is the name given to the 25 statues erected at one of New York's West Side gas stations, Chelsea, thanks to the government's Getty Station arts program. The epoxy stone and bronze installation was created by Michael Schwo and Pavel Kasmin, who decided to rethink the cartoon characters of the French artist Francois-Xavier Laland.

In the cartoon "Smeshariki", a ram (one of the races of the cartoon) has curly light purple wool, purple horns and hooves.

Sheep records

A ram named Shrek once managed to escape from the farm where he grew up. For 6 years he wandered through the mountains. However, he was later found. It was not easy to recognize him. The fact is that over the years of wandering, he was seriously overgrown with wool. After his capture, the farmer sheared 27 kg of wool from him.

However, the record for the number of cut wool does not belong to Shrek. At the Krasny Shepherd state farm in the Kherson region (Ukraine), 31.7 kg per year were sheared from just one ram. At the same time, the weight of the ram reached 130 kg.

1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027

The order of the year of the Sheep (Goat) in accordance with the elements

February 13, 1907 - February 1, 1908	Fire Sheep (Goat)
	Earth Sheep
	Metal Sheep
	Water Sheep
	Wood Sheep
	Fire Sheep (Goat)
	Earth Sheep
	Metal Sheep
	Water Sheep
	Wood Sheep
	Fire Sheep (Goat)
January 24, 2039 - February 11, 2040	Earth Sheep

Sheep (Goat) represents the feminine principle of yin, the fourth triangle (Rabbit, Sheep and Pig), the element of earth.

The sign of the Sheep (Goat) is peaceful, modest and contemplative, has a great interest in music, art, poetry and drawing. The monastic or contemplative lifestyle is often associated with the Sheep. Distinctive qualities of the sign are artistry, shyness and modesty. The sheep is in no hurry to show off their feelings, does not seek to take the first step towards rapprochement, therefore, it needs a confident and persistent partner to arrange its personal life. The sheep compensates for its own insecurity by criticizing others. Follows a special routine all his life, unexpected twists of fate disturb his peace of mind for a long time. Often needs special "sterile" conditions, likes to complain about his fate and dramatize events. A thin, stylish, intellectually developed Sheep / Goat is pleasant to talk to, knows how to arrange a luxurious life, needs a true connoisseur of her virtues. Representatives of this sign have a talent for practicality, rationally look at life, remain faithful to their loved ones and loved ones.

Positive qualities of the sign

Meekness in communication, sincerity in the manifestation of feelings, caring make the Sheep a wonderful family man. In love, these qualities contribute to long successful unions, but in a career, the Sheep often encounters obstacles, she is bypassed more energetic signs. This sign needs protection, security and comfortable environment. Only in such conditions will the Sheep reveal its true creative potential and make the life of loved ones smarter, cozier, richer. Responsiveness and generosity are attractive qualities of this sign.

Negative qualities of the sign

Indecision, lack of will and passivity prevent the Sheep from achieving worthy heights in her career. Pessimism is debilitating and interferes with communication. A sheep often worries about trifles, complains about its fate, but does not make an effort of will to change something for the better. Lack of will and inaction hinder the realization of the talents of this sign.

good in the year of the Sheep devote more time to personal development, interests, fulfillment creativity. This is a great year for conceiving a child, arranging hearth. This year the principle "saved - earned" works well, the period is conducive to optimizing the personal budget. It's good to have multiple sources of income. A series of crises will allow you to part with unnecessary things and people, making room for the main thing. Good year for Sheep/Goat, Monkey and Pig. A difficult period for the Ox, Tiger, Rooster and Dog. A positive year for the Rat, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake and Horse.

Celebrities of this sign

Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, Miguel de Cervantes Osho Rajneesh, Frans Kafka, Robert Stevenson, Honore de Balzac, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, Laurence Olivier, Jonathan Swift, Yaroslav Hasek, Gianni Rodari, Paul Eluard, Benito Mussolini, Mikhail Gorbachev, Andy Warhol, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, Rudolf Valentino, Andrew Carnegie, Muhammad Ali, Bobby Fischer. Actors: Catherine Deneuve, Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Gosha Kutsenko, Claire Danes, Evgeny Tsyganov.

The nature of the sign by the elements

Red Fire Sheep (Goat)

Mind, versatile interests and passion distinguish the Fiery Sheep from other representatives of the sign. She is energetic but maintains modesty and good manners in society. This sign is one of the best for love. The combination of tenderness, passion and shyness gives romantic relationship special charm. A sheep can fully reveal its talents if happily in love.

Yellow Earth Sheep (Goat)

Practicality, passivity and predictability distinguish representatives of the elements of the earth of this sign. Reliability and stability make the Earth Sheep the best partner in marriage. The Earth Sheep provides indispensable support to people in a difficult situation. She has golden hands and a golden heart. Her pedantry can tire, but accuracy and frugality contribute to well-being and harmony. Loves all the pleasures of life, sometimes overly practical, not capable of impulsive actions.

White Metal Sheep (Goat)

The most sociable Sheep among the elements of this sign. Overcomes shyness, likes to be the soul of society, easily establishes connections between completely different people. Dislikes strict routine, restrictions. She is creatively gifted and optimistic about life. Active curiosity and natural curiosity make her a traveler and researcher of the intricacies of psychology. The most freedom-loving and open to communication. Loves his home. Does not forgive adultery.

Black (blue) Water Sheep

The most conspiratorial element of this sign, the Water Sheep knows how to keep his own and other people's secrets. Her heart is an ocean of secrets. Often she can not figure out the motives of her actions. Does not seek to shine in society, an excellent manipulator, using weakness to strengthen and protect. Deep feelings and devotion to love make her a wonderful partner who, over time, will discover new facets of her personality. The least selfish, the Water Sheep will prefer marriage for love to practical calculation. He tries to avoid responsibility and shift his problems to others. Often musically gifted, she has good vocal abilities.

Green Wood Sheep (Goat)

Representatives of the elements of the tree of this sign are homebodies, they do not like noisy companies, they need to respect the boundaries of personal space. In partnership, he easily loses leadership positions along with responsibility for providing luxurious living conditions. A loving sign if you can overcome detachment. Reliable and faithful companion of life, able to do almost everything.

Chinese horoscope for Sheep

The signs of the Sheep and the Pig are very similar. Both signs cannot stand loneliness and love close emotional relationships. But the Sheep is lighter and more fickle, and the Pig is solidity itself. Year of the Pig for everyone...