SHEEP AND GOAT HUSBANDRY IN LITHUANIA
Remeikene, Joana
Kaunas, Lithuania
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AB ST RACT
At present in our country we have about 28 000 sheep. We breed Lithuanian Blackheaded, Lettish
Darkheaded, Precoss, Romanov, East-Friesian and Lithuanian Native Coarsewooled sheeps. In Lithuania we
have only one State enterprise for sheepbreeding and two breeding-herds. The main products of sheep husbandry
are meat and wool.
The Lithuanian Sheep Breeders Association in 1994 was established. This Association provides to its
members useful information and consultations and also represents them and defends the common interests of the
members of Association, organizes various activities and seeks to develop more favourable conditions for the
development of sheepbreeding in Lithuania.
In our country, goat husbandry is young branch of animal husbandry. At present we have about 14-15
thousand goats, mostly native breeds. For breeding we use pure-bred productive goats.
The Lithuanian Goats Breeders Association, which has 150 members in 1994 was established. This
Association organize regular meetings, explains to goat breeders about nutrition, breeding, diseases and
prevention of disease, and also presents to achievements of goat husbandry in other countries.
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INTRODUCTION
People have been raising sheep since long ago in the place where present day Lithuania
stands. They used them for food and for clothing. The historical sources specify that in the
beginning of the second millennium B. C. in the territory of Lithuania, people had already
domesticated cows, pigs and sheep.
More precise information about livestock can be found in the beginning of the thirteenth
century. The Society of Sheep Breeders was established in 1926 in the Lithuanian House of
Agriculture. This Society was spreading English meat Shropshire and German Blackface
sheep. By crossing Native Coarsewooled ewes with rams of the above-mentioned breeds, the
Lithuanian Blackface Sheep breed was created. Sheep of this breed are still raised in
Lithuania.
Recently the number of sheep in our country has decreased constantly (Table 1).
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Table 1. The number of sheep and its ownership
Year
Total number of
sheep
Number of sheep in Number of sheep in
the State enterprise the private sector
1941
610 600
1 200
609 500
1951
378 200
96 500
281 700
1961
370 900
125 600
245 300
1971
153 900
7 100
146 800
1981
61 500
20 400
41 100
1991
56 500
11 700
44 800
1995
39 900
1 500
38 400
1996
32 300
1 100
31 200
1997
28 200
700
27 500
The sheep breeds and farm size
At present six sheep breeds are raised in Lithuania, they are: improved Native
Coarsewooled, Lithuanian Blackface, Lettish Darkheaded, Precoss, Romanov and German
East-Friesian. Of course, most of them are Lithuanian Blackface sheep. Ewes lamb once per
year. The season of lambing lasts the whole spring. Romanov ewes lamb twice per year.
In our country there is only one State enterprise of sheep-breeding - “Seduvos
Avininkyste”, in the district of Radviliskis. This enterprise was established in 1963 and in
1964 it became the centre of breeding. There are about 600 Lithuanian Blackface sheep in this
enterprise, of which 360 are ewes. Also there are two registered sheep-breeding farms in
Lithuania. J.Milisiunas, the owner of the first farm, keeps 30 Lithuanian Blackface ewes; on
the other farm, which is owned by farmer P.Gaidamavicius, there are 50 Romanov ewes.
Farmer V.Kondratas keeps large number of various sheep breeds on this farm. However, this
farm isn’t registered as a sheep-breeding farm because it belongs to production-commodity
type enterprise. There are about 500 sheep on this farm, including Lithuanian Blackface,
improved Native Coarsewooled and Precoss sheep.
The size of farms fluctuates from 2-3 ha in small farms to 600 ha in the State enterprise
“Seduvos Avininkyste”. This is the largest farm, which can hold 2 000 animals, but it has
never been completely filled. The highest number of sheep on this farm was 1 500, and at
present there are only 600 heads. Small farmers of our country raise on the average 3 to 5
sheep, and owners of sheep-breeding farms raise between 50 and 100 sheep. The prevalent
production type in Lithuanian farms is semi-intensive. The main products of sheep husbandry
are: mutton, skins and wool. Milk of ewes isn’t produced in our country. The largest part of
the profit farmers receive is from the sale of mutton. Skin demand is rather large too, but
recently wool doesn’t have place on the internal market.
The prices and support
Although the demand of sheep husbandry products in the foreign market is large, these
products are not exported from Lithuania; because of the small number of sheep it is
impossible to make up even a minimal batch for export.
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The average prices of sheep husbandry products are:
 1kg of live weight-up to US$0.50;
 1kg of carcass-between US$0.95 and 2.00;
 one salted skin-between US$3.75 and 7.50;
 sheared wool without processing-up to US$0.50;
 1kg of woollen thread-between US$2.50 and 3.75.
Generally farms are selling primary unprocessed materials - carcasses, wool and salted
skins. Only the State enterprise of sheep-breeding and breeding farms are selling live animals
as the breeding stuff. It isn’t worthwhile to sell live sheep for mutton, because of the very low
purchase prices.
Breeders of pedigree sheep receive governmental support for each ewe - US$50 yearly.
When pedigree sheep are sold or bought, the government pays an “addition to the breeding
value”, which is 400 percent for elite and 350 percent of live weight for the first class animals.
Also in the future sheep breeders are expecting governmental support and waiting for
acceptance of the “Sheep Husbandry Development in Lithuania” programme, which is now in
the preparation stage.
Lands and technology
All farmers keep their own animals and use their own lands and barns and arable and
pasture lands. Only large sheep-breeding farms rent some of the lands and barns if they don’t
have enough of their own. The State enterprise “Seduvos Avininkyste” raises sheep that
belong to our government, and also it uses barns and land of the government, too. Most of all,
only family members work on farms, excepting the farm of V. Kondratas and the State
enterprise, in which employees work.
Not any farm, not even the State enterprise, has machinery or necessary equipment. On all
farms manual labour is used, or horse power where available.
Feeding everywhere is self-produced fodder, only vitamins and mineral additions are
bought. It isn’t worth buying fodder, because of the high price.
There are no extension services for sheep breeders in Lithuania, so all necessary services
and means are received from the general service net of animal husbandry.
The main problem of our farmers is the lack of finance. Because of the high interest rates
farmers can’t use credit. This lack provokes other problems. Only those farms survived which
were not specialized only in sheep-breeding. In parallel, they raise animals of other kinds or
grow various agricultural plants.
The organizations and their works
A governmental programme for “Conservation of the Native Coarsewooled Sheep” has
already been created. It is planned to prepare a programme for the utilization of small
ruminants in sterile and hilly areas of Lithuania.
As we can see from surveys, sheep husbandry in Lithuania today is a rather complicated
situation. Among other problems, farmers are facing difficulties in choosing and obtaining
sheep breeds during the reorganization of Lithuanian agriculture. Also there is a shortage in
veterinary assistance, knowledge and experience in sheep-breeding. Due to the insufficient
collaboration between farmers and companies which process sheep wool and skins, and those
which purchase meat, the problems of quality improvement and distribution of sheep products
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are of great importance. Sheep-breeders and processing companies are going to solve these
problems together and have established the Lithuanian Sheep Breeders Association on 28
April 1994 to facilitate this work.
All persons who are breeding sheep, purchasing and processing wool, skins and meat,
veterinary and agriculture experts, scientists, businessmen and other relevant persons are
eligible to join the association.
The association provides to its members useful information and consultation, and also
represents them and defends the common interests of the members of the association,
organizes various activities and seeks to develop more favourable conditions for the
development of sheep-breeding in Lithuania.
LITHUANIAN NATIVE SHEEP BREEDS
Lithuanian Native Coarse-wooled Sheep
At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, mostly late-maturing
yet undemanding coarse-wooled sheep were bred in Lithuania. There were two types of sheep
- long-thin-tailed (mostly bred in Suvalkija) and short-tailed, a northern type mostly raised in
the eastern district of Lithuania. Long-thin tailed ewes and most rams were polled and their
hair was mostly white.
The wool of northern short-tailed sheep was dark to black in colour, and the colour of the
head and legs varied. Most rams and some ewes were horned. The sheep were smaller in size
than the long-thin-tailed sheep. The differences between the two types of coarse-wooled sheep
eventually became smaller due to crossbreeding, and sheep possessing characteristics of both
breeds became predominant. The annual fleece weight was 1.0-1.5 kg of grey, white, tan and
black wool. The live-weight of sheep was 30-40 kg, and ewes dropped two to three lambs per
lambing. The sheep were characterized by thin legs, an often naked belly covered only with
coarse wool, thick skin, narrow nose and wide forehead, short ears and medium length tail.
At present, small groups of local coarse-wooled sheep that were collected from the eastern
district of Lithuania are bred at LIAS (Lithuanian Institute Of Animal Science) and the LVA
(Lithuanian Veterinary Academy) Training Centre.
Lithuanian Native Blackface sheep
The Lithuanian Blackface sheep breed was developed in the middle of the twentieth
century by crossing local coarsewooled ewes with Shropshire and German Blackface rams.
The sheep are of mutton-wool type, polled, and drop from one to three lambs. The liveweights of rams, ewes and weaned lambs are 80-90, 50-60 and 30-35 kg, respectively.
The wool of Lithuanian Blackface sheep is white, semi-fine (25-34 microns thick),
containing 11-14 percent of yellowish or white yolk. Clean wool yield is in the range of 48-66
percent. Fleece weight reaches 3-4 kg in ewes, 5-6 kg in rams and 1-1.5 kg in 7-month-old
lambs. Wool length varies from 5 to 12 cm. Clothes of natural wool cannot be replaced by
those of artifical fibre fabric.
The meat content of Lithuanian Blackface sheep is comparatively high. Dressing
percentage amounts to 50 percent. The protein content in mutton is almost the same as that in
beef or pork and the fat content is higher than that in beef and lower than that in pork. The
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cholesterol level in mutton fat is low amounting to 29 mg per kg, while in beef it reaches 75
mg per kg and in pork 126 mg per kg per kg meat. Mutton eaters are less subject to
Larteriosclerosis.
Sheepskins are often used for production of coats, waistcoats, caps, boots and mittens.
Sheepskin articles are hygienic and long-lasting. Coats are made with either wool inside or
outside with imitations of different fur animal skins.
GOATS HUSBANDRY IN LITHUANIA
Recently goats have been very popular in Lithuania. Their number is constantly increasing
(Table 2).
Table 2. The number of goats during the last years
Year
Number of goats
1990
3 900
1991
5 200
1992
6 300
1993
8 800
1994
10 400
1995
12 500
1996
14 000
1997
15 000
People raise not only native goats, but also foreign breeds - Zanen dairy, Czech and
German White goats. Native goats are perfectly adapted to local conditions, disease-resistance
and not demanding fodder. Their weight is between 30-40 kg, and the body is covered in
coarse wool. Goats can be coloured black, white, grey, brown, motley, and are always horned.
Each day does give between one and three litres of milk. If they are being well cared for and
fed, they can give up to four litres. Besides, native does are highly reproductive, sometimes
they bring forth even four kids.
The biggest part of goats are raised by farmers, country dwellers and even townspeople. At
the present in Lithuania four goat-breeding enterprises are registered: one goat-breeding
ground and three goat-breeding farms. On these farms are an average of about 20-30 goats
each.
In our country goats are raised only for milk at a price between US$0.50 and 1.50 for one
litre.
All goats, lands and barns belong to the owners. Only family members are working on
farms. Goat breeders have the same opportunities to get governmental supports as sheep
breeders.
At present there isn’t any governmental programme for goat husbandry, because the
number of these animals is quickly increasing and there is no danger for them to vanish.
In 1994 the Lithuanian Goats Breeders Association was established, which has 150
members. This Association organizes regular meetings, explains to goat breeders about
nutrition, breeding, diseases and prevention of disease, and also presents the achievements of
goat husbandry in other countries.
Other aspects of goat husbandry are the same, or very similar to sheep husbandry.
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