Volgograd Sheep

a breed of fine-fleeced sheep, developed at the Romashkovskii Sovkhoz in Volgograd Oblast (1935-63) by crossing local coarse-fleeced fat-tailed sheep with fine-fleeced rams mainly of a neo-Caucasian type and the French Soissonnais type. After a long period of intra-breeding the hybrids, the Caucasian and Groznen breeds were introduced. Volgograd sheep have a strong constitution and a regular build. The weight of the rams ranges from 95 to 110 kg and that of the ewes from 55 to 60 kg. The wool clip from rams averages 11-12 kg, that of ewes 4.5-5.5 kg. The wool is primarily of the 64th quality; the yield of pure wool is 45-47 percent. The fertility rate is 130-140 lambs for 100 ewes. Volgograd sheep are bred in Volgograd Oblast.