Awassi Sheep Breeding
Awasi sheep are one of the best breeds of sheep in the region and are believed to grow up in the Middle East in the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates at least 5000 years ago. They are also believed to be the origin of many breeds of Fat-tailed sheep in North Africa, such as the Tunisian Najdi and the Libyan Barqawi, as well as European breeds in Turkey and Cyprus, and even South African, Mongolian and Iranian breeds.
The Awasi sheep breed is one of the most widespread sheep breeds in the Arab countries, as it represents the main sheep breed in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and even Iraq. It is also observed that they are widespread in the Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where it is called Al-Nuaimi and extends to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. In addition, Awasi sheep are bred in southern Turkey, where they are called AFSI, as they were recently exported to Eastern European countries, Portugal and Australia, and from there to America. The Awasi breed can be distinguished by their Fat-tail. The breed also has several local designations, such as Baladi, Naimi, and Saqri. This breed has been used in crossbreeding with other breeds and new breeds are developed in many countries of the world.
It is commonly breeded because of its high adaptability and production in harsh climatic conditions, its adaptation during arid seasons, and its ability to walk long distances. Awasi sheep are tri-purpose (milk, meat and wool). The Awasi breed is characterized by an average production of 120-150 liters of milk per season with a length of about 150 days. They often give birth once a year and are weak in the production of twins. The weight of sheep over the marketing age ranges from 40-50 kilograms. Awasi sheep are characterized in maintaining the price of their meat at the highest level as they are the most smoother meat in the region. These sheep are often highly productive under intensive management and adequate nutrition.
Based on the goal of the National Center for Agricultural Research to employ the results of research derived locally or quoted from other sources for the purposes of increasing agricultural production, both plant and animal, raising its efficiency and improving it, preserving and optimizing agricultural natural resources, serving the purposes of agricultural development and maintaining environmental balance. The Khansaeri Department of Livestock and Rangeland Research was established with the aim of preserving this breed and improving its productivity in 1973. In 1993, a genetic improvement and nutrition program was started on this breed, and a lot of studies and research have been conducted to serve this goal. Uniform feed mixes were made. They contained energy and protein for various physiological stages to improve the products of this breed. The reproductive efficiency was improved and raised through the programs of selecting ewes on the fertility rate and milk production. Rams are also selected based on the genetic values of the mother's milk production trait in conjunction with sensory and laboratory evaluation. Since 2019, the selection of animals is mainly based on pedagogical value estimates (EBV). Genetic analysis of data (farm records for the Khansasiri section’s herd) has also been adopted as the best way to develop election programs. Many studies have indicated the importance of genetic assessment according to the Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (BLUP) in raising production efficiency, according to which parents are chosen to renew the herd and improve its production performance by selecting it as parents whose genetic factors are widely disseminated in the herd.
As the registration of breeds is the basis for building a national program to improve the productivity of Awassi, the Center is moving forward in documenting local breeds and preserving genetic resources in Jordan. It is no secret that this will facilitate the registration of the geographical indication. The geographical indicator plays an important role in determining the characteristics of meat and dairy produced from Awassi sheep in relation to biological and geographical diversity, especially in light of the increase in local, Arab and international demand for them, especially for some geographical areas. As a result, the Arab and international markets were opened and thus the different groups of society are economically benefited.
In this context, the Center, in cooperation with universities and various organizations, studied the genetic sequence of Awasi, where it was found that there are 37 genes in the mitochondria of Jordanian Awasi mitochondria, in addition to 146 individual variants in the nitrogenous bases that are used in genetic improvement programs as genetic parameters through which distinctive animals are selected and are a distinctive genetic fingerprint of Awasi sheep. This will undoubtedly allow comparing the genes of each animal individually with previous genes to study the extent to which they are associated with productive qualities or physiological characteristics that are resistant to harsh conditions and diseases and thus introduced into the selection programs of animals at early ages.
In order to control the quality of the genetic material and to limit the desired genetic traits and through the artificial insemination laboratory at Al-Khanasiri station, the technology of artificial insemination has been adopted. Thus, the process of genetic improvement and the dissemination of genetic material was accelerated and supported very quickly among breeders on a large scale, including the governorates of northern and central Jordan.
On the other hand, genetic improvement cannot be without animal health and veterinary services provided to herds.
Therefore, the Center has been cooperating with stakeholders to study vaccines and assess their impact on animals. Further, a diagnostic laboratory has been equipped, so that diseases can be diagnosed as soon as possible and treated. Epidemiological surveys are also carried out for various diseases that harm animals economically or lead to their death, whether from animals inside the station or herds around the station.
In this field, we can only reiterates that the of single health concept shall be and the preservation of animal health, which is inevitably the first step to maintain human health, whether to limit, detect or control common diseases transmitted from animals to humans in different ways, or to control antibiotic residues in Awassi products.
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