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Sheep. Mating in sheep is characterized by males competing for females in estrus. [9] Social rank in rams is established by male-male competition during the rutting period. [10] Females select from dominant males based on sexually selected characteristics such as body size and horn size, as those traits are desirable in offspring.
The exact line of descent from wild ancestors to domestic sheep is unclear. [2] The most common hypothesis states that Ovis aries is descended from the Asiatic (O. gmelini) species of mouflon; the European mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) is a direct descendant of this population. [3]
In 1918, the foundation flock was moved to the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, Idaho, for further refinement. Today's Columbia is a popular breed, with heavy, white fleeces and good growth characteristics. It is one of the larger breeds, and is often used for cross breeding in commercial western flocks.
The Suffolk is a British breed of domestic sheep.It originated in the late eighteenth century in the area of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, as a result of cross-breeding when Norfolk Horn ewes were put to improved Southdown rams.
Four-horned Jacob skull in the anatomy museum of the Royal Veterinary College in London. The Jacob is a British breed of domestic sheep.It combines two characteristics unusual in sheep: it is piebald—dark-coloured with areas of white wool—and it is often polycerate or multi-horned.
The breed has been used extensively for crossbreeding to produce sheep with various desirable characteristics, but particularly leanness, better wool production and improved fertility and fecundity (more lambs) and excellent "doing" ability. An important feature of Finnsheep is their thin, wrinkle-free skin and bare breech.
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. [citation needed]
Breed characteristics define traits that set the Charollais breed apart from other sheep breeds that are retained through pure-breeding. Charollais sheep should display a loin that is long, wide and deep without excessive fat. The eye muscle should be full. The leg-of-lamb should be thick, deep and full and rump should be thick and wide.