Sakmal

(Kazakh), also sakman, a group of sheep that includes suckling lambs of the same age and stage of development. Two to four days after lambing, five to seven ewes (three or four with twins) are placed in a mixing pen. The group is subsequently gradually enlarged in order to facilitate caring for the animals, and at the end of a month 60–120 ewes with single lambs or 30–60 ewes with twins are in one pen. By shearing time all ewes with lambs are in two or three groups. Up to four months after shearing all ewes with lambs are joined to form a single flock of 700–800 ewes with their lambs.