Performance of Karadi Sheep in Kurdistan Region/Iraq: A Review

Abstract

The Karadi sheep which comprises about 18-20% of the country sheep population is native to the northern mountain villages and undulating dry-farming plains of Kurdistan region. Rams and ewes are polled, and it is fat tailed animal with an excessively large tail that ends in a thin nonfat terminal extended beyond the fat lobs. The sheep are white with black open face and pendulous ear. The black color often extends to the shoulders and other parts of the body. All Iraqi sheep including Awassi, Arabi and Karadi were exposed over a long period of time to the rigorous and sever semi-dry condition, drought, feed shortage and prevailing disease. Hence their adaptation to the conditions of the country was at the expend of important economic traits. Karadi sheep is hardy with potentials for improvement, their weight and milk display over whelming ranges. In addition, hormonal treatment have improved their reproduction performance, as well as crossing them with other native and exotic breeds is promising. Nevertheless, this breed is not well characterized and much work is needed to explore the potential of this breed for economic traits.

Relationship of Body Weights with the Productive Performance of Lambs of the Awassi and Karakul Breeds and Crossbred Sheep

“…The findings presented in Table (3) indicate that the sex of lambs does not have a significant impact on their AWG during the period between birth and weaning, nor does it have any significant effect on their growth by the age of six months. These results agreed with a number of studies [44,45].…”

“…They contribute to the agricultural economy, especially because of their Contribution to meat, milk and wool production, central to economic and social life in arid and semiarid regions, sheep products in Iraq are likely to become increasingly important in the future for two reasons: firstly, rise in the population and secondly, rising in demand for meat production [1,2]. Many breeds were raised in Iraq, the most important of which are the Awassi, Kardi and Arabi sheep [3]. And that the Awassi sheep breed constitutes the largest percentage of local sheep, representing 58.2%.…”

Effect of pre-and post-partum feed supplementation of Maraz does on the productive performance of their offspring

“…This breed was subjected over an extended period of time to the severe semi-dry conditions, drought, feed shortage and prevalent diseases. Hence, their adaptation to such circumstances was at the expense of significant economic traits [2]; for instance, kids' daily gain in weight is low as well as hair productivity [2,3].…”