Bitlis Eren University ISSN 2146-7706 Journal of Science and Technology 2, (2012), 1-5 Review The farm animal genetic resources of Turkey: sheep – I – common and rare breeds Orhan Yılmaz a, , Richard Trevor Wilson b, Aşkın Kor c, Fırat Cengiz c, Mehmet Ertuğrul d a Iğdır University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 76000 Iğdır-Turkey b Bartridge Partners, Umberleigh, Devon EX37 9AS, United Kingdom c Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 65080 Van-Turkey d Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 06110 Ankara-Turkey * Corresponding author:
[email protected] Abstract Biodiversity richness indicates the economic and genetic wealth of a country. Turkey is like a bridge between Europe and Asia; hence it has been used by traders, travelers or intruders for centuries which cause existence of considerable different kinds of domestic animals. Although some of genotypes extinct or crucially under extinction risk, domestic livestock resources of Turkey have not been adequately appraised. On one hand new breeds are domesticated by human, on the other hand much more breeds are getting extinct by human. Creation new breeds supplies to human welfare, but extinction of native breeds also leads to exacerbate human life. In this study, domestic livestock biodiversity and conservation of Turkey is intended to explain by giving brief examples about 21 sheep breeds of Turkey. Keywords: breed characteristic, conservation, livestock, native breed 1. Introduction The sheep is the second domesticated animal after dog consuming fat in tail by the end of the winter season. Due (Yılmaz 1995). Turkey has 21.8 million sheep and is one to inadequate feeding in winter sheep lose some part of of the most important sheep producer in the world body tissues besides fat.