| Arabi | |
| Country: | Iran, Iraq |
| Use: | Meat |
| Maleweight: | 53.5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 |
| Femaleweight: | 38.2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 |
| Maleheight: | 81.2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 |
| Femaleheight: | 71.6sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 |
| Woolcolor: | White |
| Facecolor: | White |
| Horns: | Rams have horns, ewes are polled (hornless) |
| Note: | Adapted to extreme temperatures and conditions |
Arabi is a domesticated breed of fat-tailed sheep from southwestern Iran, southern Iraq and northeastern Arabia and Egypt. Though it does grow wool, it is primarily raised for meat.[1]
The Arabi rams have horns and the ewes are polled (hornless). This breed is the foundation stock for the Wooled Persian of South Africa.[1]
It is highly likely that the Arabi is descended from very ancient importations from Arabia across the narrow Bal-el-Mandeb Straits at the mouth of the Red Sea.[2] This breed has adapted to extreme temperatures and conditions. Within the foothills of Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, summer temperatures rise to 41sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 and winter temperatures down to -26sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 with less than 400sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 rain. From 1990 to 2000, the population of the Arabi increased from 1.4 million to 1.5 million.[3]
The Arabi is usually white; however, black, brown and black-and-brown can occur. The wool has an average diameter of 26.2 micrometres. The average weight of mature rams is 53.5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 with an average height at the wither of 81.2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2. For mature ewes, their average weight is 38.2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2, 71.6sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 at the withers and provides 1.6sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 of wool per shearing. Birth weight for rams is about 4.4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 and ewes 4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2. On average, slightly more than one lamb is produced per litter.[2]