Awassi (sheep)

The Awassi (Arabic: عواسي‎) is a local sheep breed in South-West Asia originated in the Syro-Arabian desert. Other local names can also be Ivesi, Baladi, Deiri, Syrian, Ausi, Nuami or Gezirieh. It is a fat-tailed type and is multi coloured: white with brown head and legs (sometimes also black or brown). The ears are long and drooping.

Habitat

The Awassi is the most prevalent sheep breed in the Arab Countries. The Awassi sheep breed is common in most of the Middle East Countries including  Syria, Lebanon, Palestine . It is an extremely hardy breed, well adapted over centuries of use to nomadic and more sedentary rural management. The Awassi is the natural or basic breed of sheep for production in these areas and a logical choice as the native or basic breed for any genetic improvement because of its apparent adaptation.

Characteristics

An Awassi lamb in Syria

It is used for a range of products; meat, milk and wool. However, this breed is raised primarily for milk.







They have unique physiological characteristics such as resistance to many diseases and parasites, walk long distances over pastures for grazing, tolerating extreme temperatures, and enduring adverse feeding conditions. It easily adapts to different environments and performs as well as in its native habitat. Awassi sheep are well-adapted to the poor Mediterranean pasture and can compensate for under-nutrition during the dry season by using the stored energy reserves in the fat tail. It has a high mothering ability. Due to its high milk producing potential under harsh conditions, the Awassi breed can be used as a sire breed in improving milk production of many indigenous Asiatic and African breeds. Awassi breed is known to be the highest milking breed after the East Friesian breed.

Awassi sheep can be kept under a wide range of production systems, from nomadic flocks relying on natural pasture in semi-arid areas where lamb production is the primary products, to intensive dairy flocks where milk and lambs contribute almost equally to the flock gross income, and it is known for its hardiness and adaptability

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Awassi

Also Known By: Ivesti (Turkish), Arab, Baladi, Deiri, Shami, Gezirieh, Syrian; Varieties:  Improved Awassi, Ne'imi, Shafali
The Awassi evolved as a nomadic sheep breed through centuries of natural and selective breeding to become the highest milk producing breed in the Middle East. The breed is of the Near Eastern Fat-tailed type. The average ewe has single lactions over 300 liters (650 pounds) per 210 day lactation and it is not uncommon for outstanding females to have 210 day lactations above 750 liters (1625 pounds). As a comparison the lactation of the average U.S. sheep breed is about 100-200 pounds per lactation.
The breed is calm around people, easy to work with and easily milked. When machine milked, they can be milked in 4-6 minutes. The breed also has the advantage of natural hardiness and grazing ability. The breed is well suited to a grazing production system as well as a confinement operation.
The Awassi has a brown face and legs with the fleece varying in color from brown to white. Individuals can also be found with black, white, grey or spotted faces. The males are horned and the females are usually polled. The fleece is mostly carpet type with a varying degree of hair. According to "World Animal Science" Sheep and Goat Production (Elseviez Scientific Publication Co. 1982) the following measurements are representative of Awassi wool:

Mean fiber diameter	33 Micron
Grease Fleece Weight	1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds)
Yield	85 %
Staple length	16.5 cm
Fleece composition
wool	69 %
hair	24 %
Kemp	7 %