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, Jordan and Lebanon.

It is reportedly present in eighteen countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, with a total population estimated in 2024 at $2.85 million$ head. The largest population is reported by Turkey, where the Ivesi numbers approximately $1.7 million$ head; other substantial populations are in Palestine (over $360,000$) and Lebanon (about $200,000$). A population in Syria of approximately $13.5 million$ head was reported in 2006.

It has contributed to the development of several modern breeds, among them the Assaf, Israeli Awassi, Pak Awassi, Neimi and Shafali.

Characteristics
The Awassi is of moderate size, with average weights of $68 kg$ for ewes and $70 kg$ for rams; average heights are $50 cm$ and $76 cm$ 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.

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.

They have unique physiological characteristics such as resistance to many diseases and parasites, walk long distances over pastures for grazing, tolerating extreme temperatures ( Al-Ghetaa, 2012) and enduring adverse feeding conditions. It easily adapts to different environments and performs as well as in its native habitat. Awassi sheep are well-adapted to the poor Mediterranean pasture and can compensate for under-nutrition during the dry season by using the stored energy reserves in the fat tail. It has a high mothering ability. Due to its high milk producing potential under harsh conditions, the Awassi breed can be used as a sire breed in improving milk production of many indigenous Asiatic and African breeds. The Awassi breed is known to be the highest milking breed after the East Friesian breed.

Awassi sheep can be kept under a wide range of production systems, from nomadic flocks relying on natural pasture in semi-arid areas where lamb production is the primary products, to intensive dairy flocks where milk and lambs contribute almost equally to the flock gross income, and it is known for its hardiness and adaptability.