Sheep: Awassi

Country of Origin

Middle East

Australian Status

:

Uses

Milk, wool, meat

Breed traits

From New and Introduced Sheep Breeds in Australia: Final report. Meat and Livestock Australia. 2002

• A large framed, fat-tail breed.
• The tail is broad and relatively short, usually ending above the hocks. It consists of large fat sacs on both sides along much of its length, with an '8' shaped tip.
• Tail size and weight depends on sex (rams may have tails weighing up to 12kg, ewes may reach 6kg) and the animal's condition. The tail acts as an energy source with fat deposits used in times of nutritional or physiological stress.
• Brown or black head, ears, legs and neck.
• Rams are generally horned and ewes polled with a 'roman' nose and long pendulous ears.
• Awassi have a double-coated fleece containing a high proportion of medullated fibres (fleeces commonly contain 45% hair, 39% wool, 10% heterotype and 6% kemp fibres). Three quarter (%) Awassi crosses and higher produce wool suited to the speciality carpet wool industry.
• The Awassi will commonly yield 3kg of white 35 micron wool with a yellowish hue annually. Pigmentation is confined to the kemp fibre fraction of the fleece.
• May require 8-10 monthly or twice yearly shearing.
• Recognised as one of the best dairy breeds in the world, producing on average 1.75 litres per day over a 200-day lactation.
• Known to conceive while lactating, the Awassi has an extended breeding season with a generally low (5-10%) twinning rate.
• A calm, easy care, hardy breed, well suited to pastoral and arid environments. 

See also Awassi Breed Standard NZ Sheepbreeders Association

History in Australia

From New and Introduced Sheep Breeds in Australia: Final report. Meat and Livestock Australia. 2002

The Awassi breed was first imported into Australia in 1985 (Western Australia) and 1995 (NSW). In 1985 shareholders of the Awassi Sheep Joint Venture in Western Australia imported frozen embryo's from Cyprus. A seven year 'scrapie freedom assurance' quarantine program culminated with the release of Awassi from quarantine in 1993 and the subsequent commercial development of Awassi cross animals for live sheep export.

Awassi Australia, a NSW based company, imported frozen embryos from leading Israeli sheep dairy studs in 1991. Live animals were released from a four year quarantine program in New Zealand in 1995.

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