Sheep are very popular farm animals. Sheep are bred in almost all corners of the world, including in adverse natural zones. These animals were domesticated for a very long time - in the VI-VII centuries BC. In addition to unpretentiousness, farmers also attribute the advantages of sheep to the ability to quickly gain muscle mass at low feed costs.
The average weight of a ram
When these animals are kept on farms, both succulent and coarse or concentrated feeds are used. For good development, sheep should receive vegetables and root crops, grass and hay, cereals and legumes. The productivity of sheep in terms of weight gain, like any other farm animals, directly depends on how well their diet will be drawn up. Sheep must receive the amount of protein, vitamins and trace elements necessary for their body.
The weight of sheep depends not only on the conditions of their keeping, but also on such factors:
Sheep, of course, weigh more than lambs. All currently existing breeds of these animals are classified into tail tail, fur coat and meat-wool. Farmers also breed fine-fleeced sheep. Representatives of breeds of the same age, of course, can have different weights. Also sometimes on farms contain dwarf lambs. The body weight of such animals, of course, is very small.
Weight of rams at different ages
Lambs are usually born quite small. In most cases, the body weight of animals of this species immediately after birth does not exceed 3.5-5.5 kg. During the first two months of life, lambs usually gain up to 350-500 g of weight per day. At the age of 1 month, the maximum body weight in these animals is 18-20 kg, and the average is 14-15 kg.
A distinctive feature of sheep is, among other things, and the fact that they can quickly build muscle mass even on pasture. Getting the minimum number of concentrates, lambs by 2 months can gain weight up to 25 kg. The average body weight of animals at this age is 22-23 kg. By 3 months, the maximum weight of sheep reaches 40 kg. On average, at this time, the lambs gain body weight of 33-35 kg.
At 7-8 months of age, puberty begins in these animals. By this time, the average weight of a sheep is usually already 45-60 kg. These animals reach slaughter mass by 11-12 months. The maximum weight of an adult ram is 180 kg. The record body weight for these animals is 200 kg. The heaviest ram in the world weighed 247 kg. He belonged to the Suffolk breed. The average weight of adult males is - 100-110 kg.
Dwarf sheep, of course, are an exception to the general rule. The maximum weight of an adult ram of this species usually does not exceed 35 kg. On average, the body weight of such animals that have reached puberty is 20-25 kg.
Weight of fat sheep
Representatives of the breeds of this group are the heaviest sheep in the world. Such sheep are grown mainly for meat. It is the fat-tailed adult males that can reach a maximum weight of 180-200 kg. The average weight of a live sheep of this species is 150 kg. Kurdyuk in such animals can weigh 12-14 kg. Lambs of this variety gain slightly less weight - 70-90 kg. The body weight of fat tail lambs at the age of 6 months is on average 50 kg.
The heaviest breed of sheep in the world is Gissan. The average weight of sheep of this species is 180-190 kg, the maximum is 200 kg. The weight of fat tail in these animals is 40 kg. In addition to the Gissan, very popular breeds of this group among farmers are:
Sardzhinsky;
Kalmyk;
Edilbayevsky.
Sardzhinsky lambs already weigh about 45 kg at the age of 6 months. In adult males of this species, the maximum body weight is 150 kg. 100-110 kg at the same time - the average weight of a ram. How much do the males of the Kalmyk and Edilbayev breed weigh? The answer to this question is about the same indicators. That is, the maximum weight of such sheep is 150 kg, the average is 100-110 kg.
Weight of fur (muton) sheep
The breeds belonging to this group gain less weight than the fat tail. Animals of this species are grown to obtain not only meat, but also skins. Sheepskin is subsequently used for tailoring winter outerwear. In most cases, in Russia, the Romanov sheep is raised from this group of breeds.
Of course, many farmers who want to grow fur sheep are also interested in what kind of animals usually have live weight. How much does a ram weigh on average if it belongs to a group of mutons? The body weight of such animals can also be quite large.
The weight of lambs of this breed at 3 months, for example, is already as much as 30 kg. At six months, the body weight of Romanovsky lamb reaches 50 kg. Animals of this breed are usually cut at 11 months. By this time, the maximum weight of the Romanovsky ram reaches 100 kg, the average - 80 kg.
Meat and sheep
The most popular breeds of this group are Soviet and North Caucasian. Both of these varieties differ in terms of weight gain and high productivity. The maximum body weight of a Soviet adult ram reaches 120-130 kg, the average - 100-118 kg. Lambs of this breed usually weigh 50-65 kg.
The average body weight of adult North Caucasian sheep is 90-100 kg, the maximum is 130-150 kg. Lambs of this breed in slaughter age weigh on average 55-58 kg. The maximum weight of their body is 129 kg.
Fine-fleeced sheep
The best breed of this group is considered the Soviet merino. Also, on the farms, fine-fleeced Kazakh, Rambul, Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikal sheep can be raised. The average weight of the rams of all these breeds is 80-110 kg, sheep - 45-70 kg. Lambs of this species are usually born very small. Their weight can be 2-3 kg. However, later fine-fleeced lambs grow quickly enough. At 6 months, the weight of males in this group averages 60-90 kg, and queens - 46-50 kg.
Meat yield at slaughter
The body weight of the rams of different productivity groups, therefore, can be quite large. The net weight of meat at the exit after slaughter in these animals, of course, is less than the mass of the carcass.
Before slaughtering, the sheep are first weighed and then sent to special pens, where they are left without food and water for 24 hours. During the period of fasting, the bladder and intestines are empty in animals. As a result, their mass is reduced by 2.5-3.5%.
After slaughter, the skin is removed from the rams, the head and hooves are removed, and the animals are gutted. Slaughter yield by weight in sheep can be 35-60%. At the same time, the share of meat itself accounts for 64-70% of the net weight of carcasses, kidneys - 1.4-1.6%, bones - 25-30%, tendons and cartilage - 1.6-2.4%. Losses during storage and cutting can be 1.1%.
Thus, the advantages of sheep, among other things, include a rather large meat yield. The average weight of a ram, as we found out, is 100-110 kg. Therefore, meat from each such animal can get 35-50 kg.
Interesting Facts
Hornless sheep on farms are bred quite rarely. In most cases, the males of these animals have large horns. The average weight of a ram after cutting is 50 kg. The mass of the horns of these animals often reaches as much as 20 kg. That is, only 2 times less.
In just one day, an adult ram can eat up to 10 kg of feed. Farmers with the most juicy grass try to choose farmers for such animals. In order for the sheep to gain weight faster, they are necessarily given additional silage, crushed, bran, root crops.
Ram is killed, as already mentioned, usually under the age of one year. The meat of two-year-old sheep is also quite edible. But rams at the age of 3 years for slaughter are considered, unfortunately, unsuitable. By this time, their meat becomes tasteless and very tough.
Weighing methods
The average weight of pure ram meat after cutting, therefore, is approximately 35-50 kg. The live body weight of these animals can be determined in farms in two ways:
In the first case, in a special narrow paddock, scales are first installed. Further, an animal is driven on them and is fixed in a standing position. After weighing the ram or sheep, they are released into a common pen.
The second method of determining weight is usually used in the field. That is, where there is no access to the scales. In this case, the body weight of sheep and sheep is calculated after measuring such parameters as the height at the withers, the width and circumference of the chest, the distance between the shoulder blades, and the length of the body.