Viatka Breed

(sheep), a fine-fleece breed used for meat and wool. It was developed in Nolinsk Raion, Kirov Oblast, and in Gorodets Raion, Gorky Oblast, RSFSR (1936-56), through reproductive crossbreeding of local northern short-tailed sheep with Precoce and Soviet merino rams.

The Viatka breed sheep are big, with a heavy body build. The weight of the rams is 80-85 kg (in exceptional examples up to 140 kg) and of the ewes, 55-60 kg (in exceptional examples up to 80 kg). The weight of the lambs at weaning is 23-24 kg. The wool clip from the rams is 5.5-6 kg (sometimes up to 12 kg) and from the ewes, 3-3.5 kg. The wool is of the 60 to 64 quality grade and is 8-9 cm long. The net wool yield is 50-60 percent. The productivity is 135-145 lambs per 100 ewes. Breeding work aims at making the sheep mature earlier and increasing liveweight and wool clip. The sheep are bred in Kirov and Gorky oblasts.