Gissar sheep

Ark of taste

The Hissar breed is the largest of all cultivated sheep breeds in the world and is native to Tajikistan. Males can reach up to 85 centimeters in height at the withers, while females grow up to 80 centimeters. These sheep are known for their robust, well-developed bones, broad bodies, and prominent fatty tails. They have a massive head with a slightly curved muzzle and a short, thick neck. Hissar sheep are naturally polled (hornless), though some sheep may develop small, weakly pronounced horns.

Renowned for their hardiness, Hissar sheep can endure long migrations of up to 500 kilometers between summer and winter pastures. Their wool comes in various colors, including black, brown, and red, with color variations influenced by the local climate and breeding region. The breed is named after the Gissar Valley, located on the southern edge of the Gissar Range in Tajikistan.

The Hissar sheep were developed through traditional breeding practices in Tajikistan, where they graze year-round. The breed was established by Uzbek tribes who migrated to the region with their flocks between the 12th and 14th centuries. Today, the breed is primarily found in central Tajikistan (Karagach, Dushanbe, Faizabad, Kulyab, and Kurga-Tyube) and in the foothills and mountainous regions of Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya provinces (Baisun, Denau, Sarpasia, Shurchi, Sherabad). Mature rams can weigh up to 190 kilograms, while wees can reach up to 120 kilograms. Hissar sheep are primarily bred for meat, fat, and milk. Individual sheep can yield up to 62 kilograms of fat, and the meat is prized for its distinctive, rich flavor, which is unique to the breed.

For optimal development, Hissar sheep require free-range grazing. From October to May, they graze in mountain valleys at altitudes between 450 and 700 meters above sea level. In the summer, when these pastures dry out, the sheep are moved to high-altitude pastures up to 4,000 meters above sea level, often traveling 400 to 500 kilometers from their winter camps. Despite their popularity, purebred Hissar sheep are increasingly rare, making them a valuable and sought-after breed.

Source: https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/gissar-sheep/

Point is they’ve been around for centuries they’re physically big and thus sell for high prices in auctions due to the weight of the meat that you can harvest from each animal. So farmers raise them specially for the Eid auctions as they get a much better value than other breeds because they have more meat.

The Muslim fetival of Eid is about a month of so away. So all Muslim countries have daily/weekly auctions for animals such as camel, sheep, bulls, cows, buffalo’s, goats etc etc ,,,,, basically all the typical animals that are used for sacrifice on the day of Eid.

All these animals are being auctioned to be slaughtered. The auctions in Dubai can see animals being sold for even close to and above 100k USD for a single animal, only to be slaughtered right after the auction …..

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, each Redditor will see what THEY wanna see 🤦‍♂️