Xinjiang Fine Wool

The Xinjiang Finewool was among the first of the Chinese breeds and it has played a part in the establishment of some other breeds. The original crosses were between Russian Merino rams, probably of the Caucasian, Precoce, and Stravrapol types, with local breeds of ewe. The most important of these breeds was the Kazakh, but some Mongolian ewes were also used.

There followed a program of backcrossing to the Merino parent, with some interbreeding and selection. Australian rams were used to a limited extend during the 1970s in the development of the Xinjiang breed. The Xinjiang Finewool is a dual-purpose sheep with emphasis placed on wool production and body weight.

Breed categories: fine-wool, dual-purpose / Distribution: China