Tsigai Sheep Pros & Cons, Origin, Characteristics

Tsigai is a highland sheep with a long history of independence. During the Tsigai's proliferation across Europe's south-eastern region, many varieties have emerged. At the very least, the Tsigai family can be separated into three sub-groups: "Balkanian," "Carpathian," and "Podolian." 

The Balkanian sub-group is highly pigmented (dark wool with black or speckled head and limbs), produces rough wool, and is preserved for mutton production in particular. Carpathian sheep have a fair-skinned fleece, a blackhead, ears, and limbs, and are superior milk producers. The Podolian subfamily consists of animals that are completely white, tiny, and capable of producing wool.

Tsigai sheep were developed in Southeast Europe for meat and milk production. The breed comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Merino and British meat breeds have aided in the improvement of some Tisigai populations. Longtails are characteristic of Tsigai sheep. They're excellent meat and milk producers.

Tsigai Sheep Pros

The Tsigai breed has a lot of good traits, such as:

• Resilience
• Ability to adjust to altered living settings
• Beautiful appearance
• High production (sheep provide high-quality wool, meat, and milk)
• Rapid growth
• Onset puberty at a young age.

Its wool is used for making warm clothing items. It also takes staining effectively to achieve the required color. Animal fleece is used as a raw material for the creation of soft threads, which are then used to make durable fabrics.

Tsigai Sheep Cons

The lowlands are unsuitable because animals become afflicted with helminthiases there (fascioliasis and other related illnesses). Females have low fertility. Despite its ability to adapt to a variety of environmental conditions, the breed does not withstand frost or precipitation well. Sheep are therefore kept in sheepfolds during the winter. If animals are maintained in moist environments, they are susceptible to disease. Increased bone fragility.

Tsigai Sheep Origin

It was named after the Romanian word þigáie. Tsigai has become a popular breed for three reasons: meat, milk, and delicate fleece. Because of the demand for Tsigai fleece, many Transylvanian peasants replaced their old sheep stocks with Tsigai.

The Tsigai breed's forefathers are thought to have been fine-wool sheep who thrived in Asia Minor before our era. For ages, the natives have sought to strengthen the breed's traits, attempting to enhance output while keeping the animals' resilience as much as possible.

Tsigai Sheep Characteristics

The breed's body frame is powerful and sturdy, with a barrel-shaped look. The chest is broad and deep. The sizes are standard. The body broadens in the back and withers region. The skeletal structure is quite durable. The tail is large and slender

The limbs are sturdy and uniform and they are of a moderate length.  The hooves are hard enough to sustain a substantial body weight: a mature ram weighs between 75 and 85 kg (sometimes exceeding 100 kg), and ewes weigh between 45 and 50 kg. The head is round and moderate in size. The horns of the rams are huge and twirling. Ewes do not have this ability.