Fat-tailed sheep

The fat-tailed sheep is a group of domestic sheep breeds that have been around since about 6000 years. Fat-tailed sheep save unlike other sheep a large part of their body fat in the tail. The fat-tailed sheep do not play a role in Europe. They are held in the Middle East and the region of the " Fertile Crescent ", among others, in North Africa.

The area of the Fertile Crescent is considered as a probable area of ​​origin. The different breeds of fat-tailed sheep are genetically relatively similar. Show molecular genetic data ( mitochondrial DNA) that one in five reconstructed maternal lineages of domestic sheep (line C ) is mainly found in fat-tailed sheep.

The oldest surviving illustrations are around 5000 years old and were found in Uruk. Fat-tailed sheep are probably not the oldest domesticated sheep, but targeted further breeding. There are several hundred varieties of tail shapes worldwide. Herodotus mentioned in a report on the then Arabia fat tail sheep with very sweeping tails that were allegedly applied only with the help of wheels sets move easily.

Today, an estimated 25 percent of all sheep are fat-tailed sheep world. It plays an important role in North Africa, especially in Tunisia, in Egypt, the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. They are also available in parts of Asia. The wool of these sheep is hard and is rarely used commercially.

The principle of fat storage in the tail in these sheep corresponds to the memory function of the hump in camels. However, you are basically able to store body fat in other places, such as tests have shown, in which the lambs tail was removed. This is also a proof that it is the result of deliberate breeding in the fat tail sheep. The stored fat here is soft and much smoother in consistency than elsewhere in the body stored fat.

In the Arab and Persian cuisine of this fat comes from the Middle Ages in numerous recipes. It is used mainly for the preparation of meat from time immemorial. The flesh of the fat-tailed sheep is leaner than the other ovine and is highly appreciated in the regions of its distribution. The animals are also considered good milk suppliers.

Breeds

• Awassi
• Bakhtiari (sheep)
• Dumba (sheep)
• Karakulschaf
• Kermani (sheep)