CHAPTER XXVIII 



THE KARAKUL (A FUR-BEARING BREED) 1 





 History. The Karakul 2 comes from the province of Bokhara. 



Its history is not definitely known, but it is thought that the 

 foundation stock was the Arabi, whose blood has been combined 

 with that of the Black Danadar to produce the sheep in the vicinity 

 from which the Karakul derives its name. It is said that owners 

 of sheep in Bokhara do not follow systematic methods of breeding 

 and that on this account the Karakul can be regarded as a breed 

 only in a general sense (Fig. 145). 



Description. The conformation of the Karakul clearly indi- 

 cates that it has not been bred for mutton production because the 

 top of the body is too narrow and too uneven to permit of a large 

 quantity of meat in the regions of the valuable cuts. As a rule the 

 leg is lacking in fullness, the rump is steep, the loin high, and the 

 back depressed just behind the shoulders. It is characteristic for a 

 triangular mass of fat weighing five or six pounds to develop at the 

 upper part of the tail, and hang down toward the hocks. Because 

 of this characteristic, the Karakul is known as a broadtail breed. 



The wool of the mature sheep is very coarse and wiry, and it is 

 brown in color. When the lambs are born, they have lightly curled, 

 glossy black coats; and in order to get good fur they should be 

 slaughtered before they are five days old, for if they are allowed to 

 live longer their coats rapidly deteriorate as a fur product. 



Properties. Undoubtedly the Karakul is hardy and suited to 

 arid and semi-arid conditions. It has been observed in the United 

 States that the lambs grow rapidly until they reach about 100 pounds, 

 which is almost the mature weight of females. Whoever contem- 

 plates growing Karakuls should bear in mind that although thev 

 are hardy, they have been accustomed to arid and semi -arid con- 

 ditions and hence may not do well in a moist climate. In the main, 



1 See account of Karakul in 1915 Yearbook of U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. 



2 The word Karakul is derived from Kara Kul, the name of a village in 

 the eastern part of Bokhara. 



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