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The Lithuanian Black-Headed Sheep ( Lithuanian: "''Lietuvos vietinės šiurkščiavilnės''") is a multipurpose breed developed in Lithuania during the mid-20th century.
The breed was created through crossing local sheep with English
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The Lithuanian Black-Headed Sheep ( Lithuanian: "''Lietuvos vietinės šiurkščiavilnės''") is a multipurpose breed developed in Lithuania during the mid-20th century.
The breed was created through crossing local sheep with English Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
and meaty German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
black-headed rams, in an attempt to combine the best characteristics of both. These sheep mature early and supply homogenous semi-fine wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...
. They have short and white wool, while their head, ears, and legs are covered with black hair. The sheep has no horns.
To form productive herds of thoroughbred sheep, state-run Black-Headed sheep breeding nucleus farms were established in Pasvalys
Pasvalys () is a town in Panevėžys County, Lithuania, located near the bank of the Svalia River.
History
In 1557, the Treaty of Pasvalys was signed in the town, which provoked Ivan IV of Russia to start the Livonian War. Pasvalys has mineral s ...
in 1952, and in Telšiai
Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis.
Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithua ...
in 1956. In 1963 the Šeduva
Šeduva () is a List of cities in Lithuania, city in the Radviliškis district municipality, Lithuania. It is located east of Radviliškis.
Šeduva was an agricultural town dealing in cereals, flax and linseed, pigs and geese and horses, at th ...
Experimental Farm was launched to preserve the breed. Since its inception the farm has performed scientific research, including evaluation of sheep health and fertility, milking capacity, chemical composition of sheep milk, and quality of wool and meat.
The first Lithuanian Black-Headed breed herd book was issued in 1963, and the last in 1993. As of 2007, thoroughbred Lithuanian Black-Headed sheep were being raised in four farming herds totaling about 470 ewes. Its genetic material is being stored as a resource, and a 2005 United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
-sponsored initiative purchased the sheep in support of traditional Lithuanian textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
arts. United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
. ''Cultivation of Rare Sheep Breads in Pajuris Region and Promotion of Traditional Textile Crafts in Lithuania.'' Accessed February 22, 2008/ref>
References
{{reflist Sheep breeds Sheep breeds originating in Lithuania