What is the history of Edilbaev Sheep?

Edilbaev (Edilbaevskaya) Sheep is a coarse-wooled breed of the mutton-fat type. It was obtained in the 19th century by mating Kazakh fat-rumped ewes to coarsewooled rams from Astrakhan.

Edilbaev sheep are raised in Karaganda, Guryev, Aktyubinsk, Semipalatinsk, Kustanai, Uralsk, Jezgazgan and Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan.

What are the characteristics of Edilbaev Sheep?

• Mating Kazakh fat-rumped ewes to coarse wooled rams from Astrakhan process animals most suited to the natural and climatic conditions of nomadic sheep husbandry were selected.
• Sheep of this breed can stand severe winter frosts and summer droughts.
• They can easily cover long distances and, due to their morphological and physiological features, graze well on scarce coarse pastures.
• Edilbaev sheep have a strong constitution, a good conformation and a well-developed fat rump.
• In terms of their meat and fat traits they are inferior only to the Hissar.
• Both rams and ewes are polled.
• Withers height is 75-84 cm and chest girth is 97-106 cm.
• They have a rapid growth rate and are early maturing.
• Birth weight of males is 6.0 kg and that of females is 5.2-5.3 kg.
• Weaning weight (at 4.0-4.5 months) is 40-45 and 35-40 kg respectively.
• At the age of 18 months rams weigh 80 kg and ewes 65 kg.
• Carcass weight at the age of 4 months is 20-24 kg and rump weight is 3-4 kg.
• Edilbaev sheep surpass other coarsewooled fat-rumped breeds in wool production.
• The average fleece weight is 3.0-3.5 kg (max. 5.0 kg) for rams and 2.3-2.6 kg for ewes.
• The wool is not uniform and consists of true wool (52-56%), intermediate fibres (16-19%), and guard hair (24-28%).
• Kemp is found only in a very small number of sheep. According to laboratory data, the wool fineness is 18.0 μ, that of intermediate fibres 33.1 μ and of guard hair 59.5 μ.
• Edilbaev sheep are predominantly black or tan; they may also be brown.
• Sheep of different colours differ in productivity. For example, it has been shown that black ewes have a fleece weight 7.5-11.8% higher and a live weight 2.2-6.9% heavier than tan sheep. Their carcass traits are also better. Brown sheep are equally productive. Lambing rate is low - only 110-120 lambs dropped per hundred ewes lambing.
• Milk yield of ewes is sufficiently high, ewes average 150-155 litres with a range of 124.8-184.3 litres.
• Commercialized milk is used for production of airan (sour milk), primchik (cheese), kurt (cheese) and butter.
• The average fat content is 5.8% with a range of 3-9%.

What is the weight of mature Edilbaev Sheep?

Edilbaev Sheep live weight of rams is 110-120 kg (max. 150-160 kg) and that of ewes is 65-70 kg (max. 90-100 kg).