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. After winter season sheep can (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu 2011). Turkish sheep breeds first complete these body tissues and then after July they are divided into 2 groups as fat or thin tailed breeds put on fat again. This circle repeats every year; hence fat (Table 1). Fat tailed sheep are in majority in Turkish tail is very crucial for sheeps (Sönmez 1978). sheep population. The reason is that sheep breeding is generally seemed as a second job after crop production 1.1. Common Breeds by Turkish farmers. Sheeps are grazed in open land in The common sheep breeds of Turkey are İvesi, Dağlıç, spring season. In this season animals complete their body Karayaka, Kıvırcık, Morkaraman, and Akkaraman (Table condition up to normal body size. At the end of June, 2). The breeds of Karayaka and Kıvırcık have thin tail and generally grass becomes dry on pasture and in July rest have fat tail. cereals are harvested. After July, sheeps generally eat either dry grass on pasture or stubble leftover by cereals 1.1.1. İvesi (Figure 1) also known as Awassi which on fields until winter season, so then sheeps put on fat mainly lives in southeast Turkey (Mason 1996) and either under skin or around intestine and kidneys, but endangered (Ertuğrul et al. 2009). İvesi sheeps are especially in tail. featured with mid-sized white body, having black or brown spots on head, neck and legs. Both male and Table 1. An overview to the common and rare sheep breeds of female are polled (TAGEM 2009). Turkey Fat Tailed Thin Tailed Common İvesi, Dağlıç, Karayaka, Kıvırcık, Morkaraman, Akkaraman Rare Çandır, Çine Çaparı, İmroz (Gökçeada), Hemşin, Herik, Kangal, Karya, Pırlak, Karaman, Karacadağ, Sakız, Karagül, Karakaş, Norduz, Güney Karaman, Figure 1. İvesi Sheep Figure 2. Dağlıç Sheep Tuj (Sönmez 1975; Ertuğrul et al. 1993; Kaymakçı 2008; Ertuğrul et al. 2009; 1.1.2. Dağlıç (Figure 2) lives in western Anatolia. It is a Sönmez 2009; TAGEM 2009) coarse wool, meat and milk type breed with black spots on head and legs. Male is usually horned female is Tail grows up to maximum size before winter season. usually polled (Mason 1996). Dağlıç is nearly extinct and During winter season sheep are fed by lots of wheat 200 sheep have been under protection by three farmers straw and some wheat bran. Sheep can only survive by in Bolvadin (Ertuğrul et al. 2009). Received 7 November 2011 Accepted 9 January 2012 Available online June 2012 Yılmaz et al./ BEU J SCI & TECHNOL 2 (2012) 1-5 Table 2. Fat and thin tailed common native sheep breeds of Turkey Trait Fat Tailed Breeds Thin Tailed Breeds Name of Breed Akkaraman Morkaraman Dağlıç İvesi Kıvırcık Karayaka Local Name of Breed Akkaraman Morkaraman Dağlıç İvesi Kıvırcık Karayaka Breed at risk Not endangered Not endangered Nearly extinct Not endangered Not endangered Not endangered Purpose of raising Meat, milk Meat Meat, milk Milk, meat Meat Meat, wool, milk Main region or country Central Anatolia East Anatolia Central-West Southeast Anatolia Thrace, Marmara From Sinop to Anatolia and North Aegean Trabzon Color White body, Light to dark White body, White body, White body, White body, black black spots on brown body black or brown black or brown sometimes black or spots on head and muzzle, spots on muzzle, spots on head, pied neck ears and feet ears and feet neck and legs Polled or not Female not horn, Female not horn, Female not horn, Female polled, Female not horn, Female not horn, male male has horn male has horn male has long, male horned male has spiral horn has horn spiral horn Height (♂, ♀ cm) - 75 ♂, 68 ♀ 67 ♂, 61 ♀ 66 ♂, 65 ♀ 69 ♂, 64 ♀ 66 ♂, 62 ♀ Body length (♂, ♀ cm) - 72 ♂, 67 ♀ 65 ♂, 63 ♀ 62 ♂, 59 ♀ 80 ♂, 66 ♀ 71 ♂, 63 ♀ Birth weight (♂, ♀ kg) 4-4.9 3.9 ♂, 3.5 ♀ 3.5 ♂, 3.5 ♀ 4.6 ♂, 4.4 ♀ 4.0 ♂, 3.7 ♀ 3.5 ♂, 3.2 ♀ Adult weight (♂, ♀ kg) 50-60 ♂, 35-40 ♀ 50-90 ♂, 40-60 ♀ 53 ♂, 46 ♀ 74 ♂, 50 ♀ 60-70 ♂, 45-55 ♀ 55 ♂, 40 ♀ Average daily gain for - 192 (♂) 241 (♂) 264 (♂) 263 (♂) 220 (♂) fattening (g) Milk (kg) 38-60 60 57 172 83 40-50 Lactation Length (days) 125 126 75-105 185 180 100-160 Wool (Greasy) (kg) 1.5-2.0 1.5-2.0 2.3 2.5 1.5 2-3.5 Gestation age (month) - 18 18 18 16-18 18 Lamb yield (%) 1.05 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.1 (Sönmez 1975; Sönmez 1978; Ertuğrul et al 1993; TAGEM 2009) 1.1.3. Karayaka (Figure 3) lives in north Anatolia. It has coarse wool, long thin tail and small body size. Males are 55 kg and females are 40 kg. Body coat colour is white with black eyes or black head and legs but occasionally black or brown. Males are usually thick, and spirally horned, females are usually polled (Mason 1996; Arat 2011). Figure 5. Morkaraman Sheep Figure 6. Akkaraman sheep 1.2. Rare Breeds There are rare sheep breeds of Çandır, Çine Çaparı, Hemşin, Herik, İmroz (Gökçeada), Kangal Karaman, Karacadağ, Karagül, Karakaş, Karya, Norduz, Pırlak, Sakız, Figure 3. Karayaka Sheep Figure 4. Kıvırcık Sheep Güney Karaman, and Tuj in Turkey (Table 3). The breeds 1.1.4. Kıvırcık (Figure 4) lives northwest Turkey. of İmroz (Gökçeada), Karya, Pırlak, and Sakız are thin Kıvırcık is meat and, milk type breed and has tailed and rest is fat tailed. medium/coarse wool similar to Karnobat of Bulgaria and 1.2.1. Çandır (crossbred) is a crossbred of Dağlıç x to Tsigai; part of Ruda (Balkans). They have white with Akkaraman and lives in western Anatolia (Mason 1996), white or spotted face but black and brown varieties. A synonym name is Kesber (Sönmez 1978). Kıvırcık male is horned and female is usually polled. (Mason 1996). A total of 286 sheep (15 ram and 271 1.2.2. Çine Çaparı (Figure 7) sheep are found in Aydın sheep) is kept under protection by government at province. They are supposedly disease resistant. Females Marmara Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) and 200 are 35 kg in adult weight. Coat colour is white, sometimes sheep are under protection by one farmer in Kirklareli with light brown to black spots on feet and stomach (Ertuğrul et al. 2009). Because of different genetic (MARA/FAO 2000) They are also endangered breed. and structure Kıvırcık is possibly originated from European nearly extinct. 120 sheep are under protection by two sheep Breeds (Koban 2004). farmers in Aydın (Ertuğrul et al. 2009). 1.1.5. Morkaraman (Figure 5) is a dominant sheep breed of East Anatolia. It is a meat type and has light to dark brown body. Male is horned, and female is usually polled. Males are 50-90 kg, and females are 40-60 kg (TAGEM 2009). 1.1.6. Akkaraman (Figure 6) lives in central Anatolia. Is it a meat, and milk type breed. They have coarse wool. Coat colour is black on nose and face and occasionally around eyes. Male is usually polled, and female is polled Figure 7. Çine Çaparı Sheep Figure 8. Hemşin Sheep (Mason 1996). 2 Yılmaz et al./ BEU J SCI & TECHNOL 2 (2012) 1-5 Table 3. Fat and thin tailed rare native sheep breeds of Turkey. Trait Fat Tailed Breeds Thin Tailed Sheep Breeds Name of Breed Çine Çaparı Karagül Norduz Tuj Güney Hemşin Herik Kangal Pırlak Karya Sakız İmroz Karaman Karaman Local Name of Breed Çine Çaparı Karagül Norduz Tuj Güney Hemşin Herik Kangal Pırlak Karya Sakız Gökçeada Karaman Akkaraman Breed at risk Nearly extinct Nearly extinct Endangered Nearly extinct Endangered Endangered Endangered Not endangered Endangered Endangered Nearly extinct Not endangered Purpose of raising Meat, milk Meat, milk, skin Meat, milk Meat, wool, milk Meat, milk Meat, wool Meat, milk, Meat, milk Meat, milk Milk, lamb Milk, lamb Milk, meat wool Main region or country Çine and Province of Norduz Region in Çıldır County of Provinces of Artvin and Rize Province of Sivas and Kütahya, Afyon, Provinces of Çeşme, Urla and Island of Bozdoğan Tokat and Gürpınar County Kars, Ardahan, Antalya, Provinces Amasya adjacent Uşak, Manisa,