Chios Sheep Origin, Characteristics, Wool & Meat Quality

The Chios sheep is a domestic sheep. These sheep are adapted from the local environment. The female Chios sheep is a good trainer for their lambs. These sheep look beautiful and attractive compared to the other sheep breeds. They have the best quality of meat and milk. Sometimes, they like hilly areas because they thrive longer in a cold climate. When these sheep change their place from a hot climate to a colder climate, the temperature does not affect their health and diet. It means these sheep are highly adaptive. They require moderate maintenance. 

Origin

The chios sheep originated from the Greek island of Chios. Chios sheep is a crossbreed of male Kivircik and the female Daglic.The introduction of this breed was made in the 20th century. The Chios sheep breed is classified as a semi-fat-tailed breed. The world population of Chios sheep has been increased from 16000 to 58000 from 1983 to 2007. The Chios sheep feel comfortable in all kinds of climates and environments. They like to live in big places. The average weight of Chios sheep breeds at birth is 3.6 Kg to 3.9 Kg.

Characteristics

The breed of Chios sheep is medium to large in their size. They are mostly available in white and black color. Chios sheep have black spots on their legs, faces, ears, and around the eyes. Chios Sheep are used for three purposes: milk, meat, and wool. Both genders of Chios sheep have horns. Rams have larger horns as compared to ewes. The ewe's horns are like knobs. The average body weight of mature Chios sheep may range between 66 kg and 91 kg.

Wool

The Chios sheep breeds have good wool production. The wool diameter of the Chios sheep breed is 27 micrometers to 35 micrometers with a spinning count of 44 to 56, and the staple length of Chios sheep is 8 centimeters to 13 centimeters. The highest wool production recorded of Chios sheep varies from 500 kg to 597 kg. Their wool weight is 1.2 kg to 2.5 kg. Chios sheep wool is very useful like it is used for making blankets and rugs. Chios sheep's wool is too warm. The color of their wool is available in black and white. The outer layer of their body is full of heavy wool.

Meat Quality

The Chios sheep breed is also mainly used for meat production. The Chios sheep meat has excellent quality. Their meat is good for health. Chios sheep contain 8% to 20% fat in their meat. Their meat is available in local and commercial markets. Kids also like their meat and eat happily. Their meat has good fats, which are healthy for us, but you can not have their meat as a daily diet. The meat of these Chios sheep is not expensive, and you can easily buy their meat.