Awassi


The Awassi is a breed of dairy sheep of Near-Eastern fat-tailed type. It is the most widely distributed non-European dairy breed. It is known by many names, among them Arab, Baladi, Deiri, Gezirieh, Ivesi, Shami and Syrian. It is usually white with brown head and legs.

History

The Awassi is a traditional breed of dairy sheep of Near-Eastern fat-tailed type. Its origins are unknown, but it is thought to originate in the historic region of Mesopotamia – the area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, now in modern Iraq and Syria. The breed name is thought to derive from that of Al-ʿAwās, a Bedouin tribe of northern Syria. It is the most widely distributed non-European dairy breed and the most numerous sheep breed of south-west Asia. It is the principal sheep of Iraq and Syria and the only indigenous sheep of Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.
It is reportedly present in eighteen countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, with a total population estimated in 2024 at head. The largest population is reported by Turkey, where the Ivesi numbers approximately head; other substantial populations are in Palestine and Lebanon. A population in Syria of approximately head was reported in 2006.
It has contributed to the development of several modern breeds, among them the Assaf, Palestinian Awassi, Pak Awassi, Neimi and Shafali.

Characteristics

The Awassi is of moderate size, with average weights of for ewes and for rams; average heights are and respectively. The usual colouring is white with brown head and legs; the face may also be white, grey, black or spotted, and a solid-coloured brown or black coat occasionally occurs. The facial profile is convex and the ears pendulous. Rams are normally horned, ewes more often polled. Hyperthermia causes the fertility of rams to fall during the hot summer months, but it recovers rapidly when temperatures fall in the autumn.

Use

Although the Awassi is considered a dairy sheep, it is commonly reared for meat, for milk and for wool. In Syria it supplies all the wool, about 30% of all milk and about 80% of all red meat. In Iraq it is raised principally for meat.