Sheep farming is a traditional activity in Kazakhstan. Sheep make good use of steppe and mountain pastures, pay back quickly and provide meat, wool, skins and milk. For a new farm it is important to choose a breed that suits its pastures and market.
Breeds
- Edilbaev — a fat-tailed meat-and-fat breed, hardy, fattens well on pasture; lambs grow quickly.
- Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool — undemanding, adapted to year-round pasture keeping.
- Kazakh Arkharomerino — a fine-wool breed developed for mountain pastures.
- Kazakh Fine-wool — wool-and-meat type, valuable wool.
If meat is the main source of income, fat-tailed and meat breeds are chosen. Fine-wool breeds are worthwhile where there is a market for wool.
Pastures
The traditional system is seasonal rotation of pastures: spring, summer (zhailau), autumn and winter (kystau). Rotating plots preserves the grass and reduces parasite infestation. Do not overload a pasture: a degraded plot takes years to recover.
Annual cycle
- Mating — usually in autumn, aiming for spring lambing. Pregnancy in sheep lasts about five months.
- Lambing — requires warm, dry pens, separate lambing pens for ewes with lambs, and someone on duty.
- Shearing — usually in spring, and for some breeds also in autumn.
- Fattening and sale — in summer and autumn, when pastures are at their best.
Veterinary prevention
Regular parasite treatments, scheduled vaccinations and testing in accordance with veterinary regulations, and mandatory animal identification. Draw up schedules together with the veterinarian in your area: the set of risks depends on the region.
Winter housing
Sheep need wind-protected sheepfolds or shelters, dry bedding, stocks of hay and straw, concentrates for ewes and lambs, and a constant supply of water.
Sales
Live sheep and lambs, meat, wool, skins and breeding animals. Demand for rams and lambs is especially high before holidays — plan fattening in advance.
