Characteristics of the Edilbay sheep breed of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article analyses material from sheep domestication to the present state. Data on the world’s leading countries, where sheep breeding is most intensively developed, are given. The largest sheep populations are concentrated in China, Australia, India and Sudan. There are 995 registered local sheep breeds, of which 100 are international cross-border sheep breeds. Many species are continually becoming extinct. Therefore, the problem of preserving the unique gene pool of aboriginal breeds is acute in many countries. More than 20 breeds of sheep are bred in Kazakhstan. Over the last ten years, the number of sheep in the Republic has been between 18.0-20.0 million. The most widespread sheep breeds are Edilbay, Kazakh Arkharmerinos and Kazakh Kurdish coarse-wool sheep. Sheep of the Edilbay breed are bred in 10 regions of Kazakhstan. Edilbay breed is adapted to breeding in areas of dry steppes, semi-desert and desert regions. The article gives a brief zootechnical characteristic of Edilbay sheep and describes the epizootic situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Particular attention is paid to changing the breeding strategy. In further breeding and pedigree work, the aim is to create a sheep population with reduced fat content. A plan has been outlined for comprehensive studies of the sheep gene pool and phenofund, including evaluating protein, carbohydrate, fat and mineral metabolism, chemical, physiological, cytogenetic, molecular-genetic, and other research methods. Water, soil, and feed will be monitored for heavy metals and macronutrients during the experimental work.