Damara’s sheep symbolizes resistance, adaptation and stability to harsh conditions. This valuable breed can play an important role in providing food security and sustainable development of arid regions, and given the climate change and the increase in arid regions in the world, the importance of breeds such as Damara that is capable of adapting to harsh conditions is felt. For this reason, many studies and studies are being carried out on this breed to make the most of its potential.
History and genetics of sheep Damara
Damara’s sheep is a breed of Egyptian and Middle East tail sheep, which was traditionally managed by indigenous people. These people considered Damara to be valuable because of their ability to survive in very difficult and limited resources. The long history of this breed’s compatibility with arid and semi -linguistic areas has made these sheep relatively isolated in Namibia for centuries, which has also helped maintain their genetic characteristics. In the twentieth century, efforts were made to formulate this breed and their breeders’ associations were established. It was also exported to other parts of the world, including Australia and the United States, and is now considered due to high resistance.
Features of Damara Sheep
Damara sheep has a medium size and its body shape varies from lean to relatively muscular. The weight of the ewes is usually between 1 and 2 kg and the weight of the rams is between 1 and 2 kg. The height of this breed in the shoulder part is about 1 to 2 cm and their tailored size and high resistance, especially for dry and desert environments. The color of the body of the Damara sheep is varied and includes a spectrum of white, black, brown or a combination of these colors.
Damara’s sheep have amazing properties that are specific to this race and are not seen in other sheep breeds. These properties are:
Storage of energy in fat tail
Damara sheep is one of the tail breeds in which fat accumulates as an energy source in the animal’s tail instead of stored in the body. This feature helps sheep to use its tail energy storage for survival in harsh desert conditions and despite the lack of food resources. This strange feature is similar to the storage of fat in the camel.
Wool -free coating and heat resistant
Unlike many sheep breeds that have a lot of wool, Damara’s wool is like hair that allows him to withstand the extreme heat of the desert areas. It also eliminates the need for wool, which is an advantage for breeders in hot and dry areas.
High resistance to pathogens
Damara sheep is genetically highly resistant to parasites and diseases and requires a little need for medical interventions. This breed can be well feeding on low -quality plants and is suitable for dry and low -income areas. The ability of this sheep to survive and reproduce in difficult conditions has made it an ideal choice for sustainable livestock in arid and semi -dry areas.
Dodge and fertility rate
Damara is famous for high fertility and the ability to produce lamb even in harsh conditions, and as one of the most ardent sheep breeds in the world, it is well -known for high fertility and significant birth rates. This breed has been able to develop genes that increase the number of lambs at each time because of its adaptation to the harsh and dry conditions; However, in addition to genetic factors, environmental factors such as nutrition, hygiene, timely vaccination, proper herd management and climatic conditions also affect the fertility of Damarara and can help increase birth rates in this breed. Other features of Damara sheep fertility are:
The age of adolescence
Damaras reach sexual maturity at a younger age than other sheep breeds and are able to produce reproduction, which increases the number of births throughout the life of a trap.
The gap between the births
The gap between the two generations in Damara is usually shorter than other breeds, which in turn affects the increase in birth rates.
Strong mother instinct
Damaras have a very strong maternal instinct and take care of their lambs well, which leads to reduced lamb casualties and increased survival rates.
Damara sheep milk
In addition to producing quality meat and wool, Damarah sheep also offers valuable milk; However, many people may not be aware of the difference between the taste of the livestock, and if you are in this category, we recommend that The difference between the taste of milk of the livestock Don’t miss out. The characteristics of Damara sheep milk are:
- High nutritional value
- High fat
- High production
- Resistance to diseases
Damara sheep milk is usually used for fresh or pasteurized use, production of local yogurt and cheese, use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
Damara sheep wool
One of the unique features of the Damara race is its special body cover that, instead of wool, looks more like thick and short hair, due to its structure and length, it is not suitable for the production of high quality and soft fabrics and is mostly local use. This feature helps Damara to become less heat in warm and dry weather. Damara wool has a hair -like structure that makes it more resistant to abrasion and rupture instead of long and complex fibers. Also, the color of Damara’s wool is very diverse and can be white, black, brown or a combination of these colors.
Damara mutton
Damara sheep is more concerned with its meat and is grown. Some of the features of Damara’s meat are:
- Delicious and delicious
- Low -fat
- Nutrition
- Dark red
- A strong taste
- High quality
Challenges of Damara Sheep Breeding in Iran
Due to high resistance and adaptation to harsh and dry conditions, sheep can have high potential for breeding in some parts of Iran, but breeding this breed in Iran with challenges and considerations such as lack of appropriate infrastructure, lack of technical knowledge and lack of target markets That should be carefully examined.
Suitable areas for breeding sheep Damara in Iran
Based on weather conditions and food sources, the following areas in Iran are more suitable for breeding Damara:
- Central provinces of Iran such as Yazd, Isfahan and Semnan
- Southeast provinces such as Sistan and Baluchistan and Kerman
- Some areas of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi provinces
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