THE production of Persian lamb fur in the United States appears to be feasible and to present commercial possibilities. The fur now comes to this country through Europe from Central Asia, where it is produced by the sheep known as Karakul¹ Since 1909, 54 of these sheep have been brought to the United States. The importations consisted chiefly of rams, which have been mated with ewes of other breeds to determine what class of the readily available ewes are most valuable for mating with Karakul rams to produce lambs having good skins. Flocks owned in Texas, Kansas, and New York now comprise over 1,000 head of sheep having one-half or three-quarters Karakul blood. Besides these grades there are 60 rams and ewes that are either imported or descended from imported stock.

Much is yet to be learned about the breeding and management of Karakul sheep in the United States, but their successful rearing seems likely to be accomplished, especially in areas of higher elevation and drier climate.

The fur commonly known as Persian lamb is taken from the young Karakul lambs. The common practice is to kill the lambs when but a few days old, as the character of the curls deteriorates with greater age. The skins of prematurely born lambs have value as furs, but ewes are not sacrificed to secure them.

The Persian lamb fur used in the United States is produced in Central Asia, chiefly in the Khanate or principality of Bokhara, situated between Turkestan on the north and Afghanistan on the south, though a few Karakul sheep are kept in the territory adjoining Bokhara. The term “Persian” seems to have become attached to this class of fur because of the fact that at one time it was sent to Europe through points in Persia. There are some Karakul sheep in Persia, though the stock common to that country and known in America as Persians are not valuable as fur producers.

In 1909, 15 head of Karakul sheep were imported to the United States from Bokhara by Dr. C. C. Young, of Texas.  The results obtained with these sheep and their descendants and with others imported in 1913 and 1914 have made it appear that the production of Persian lamb fur can be made a profitable commercial enterprise in the United States. Because of the distance to Bokhara and other matters peculiar to that country which present difficulties to importers, it is improbable that the number of Karakul sheep brought to the United States will be sufficient to bring their prices within the reach of many farmers or sheep raisers.

The future of the industry in this country depends very largely upon the results obtained by mating Karakul rams with ewes of other breeds. Recognizing this fact, in 1911 the Animal Husbandry Division began experiments planned to show the value of lambs from Karalkul sires and dams of a number of well-known breeds. This project also included the rearing of stock from successive matings of Karakul sires with ewes having various proportions of Karakul blood. Serious delays were occasioned by the fact that the division owned none of the Karakul sires used. In 1911 and 1912 two crops of half-bred Karakul lambs were born and two sets of three-quarters-bred Karakuls in 1913 and 1914.  All but four head of the sheep retained in the experiment were lost through the burning of the barn at the experimental farm in March, 1915. Though incompleted, the project has yielded useful information which is herein reported, together with a discussion and summary of Karakul breeding in the United States and features of the industry in its native home.

The furs which are taken from young lambs are known as Persian lamb, Astrakhan, Broadtail, and Krimmer. In recent seasons ladies’ coats made from skins similar to Astrakhans have been sold as “Karakuls.” Persian, Astrakhan, and Broadtail skins are all black in color, but vary in the character of curl. Persians have the most pronounced, most uniform, and tightest curls and the greatest value. (See Pls. XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLIV, XLV,and XLVI) Astrakhans have longer hair, the curl is much more open, and usually has less luster or gloss than the Persian (Pl. XLVII). The Moirée Astrakhan is a very soft, light skin, having straight hair, but with a very pronounced satiny luster (Pl. XLII). Broadtail skins are taken from lambs prematurely born. Valuable skins of this class are soft and pliable, as well as being very light in weight. Their hair is shorter than on Persian skins, and instead of being tightly curled exhibits a very attractive wavy pattern (PL XLIII). Krimmer is a gray fur produced mainly in the Crimean peninsula, hence its name.

In each of these classes of lambskins there are varying grades. It can not be said that all Persian skins are more valuable than all Astrakhans, though they average considerably more and include the most valuable lots. With the exception of Krimmer the above skins are produced mainly by Karakul sheep reared in Bokhara.

The demand for Persian lamb fur has broadened greatly in recent years. Between 1895 and 1913 prices have increased about 180 per cent. In occasional seasons (including that of 1914-15) values have fallen, not through changes in fashion or popularity of this fur, but as a result of less liberal expenditure on the part of the class of people who buy articles of this class and value. The serviceability and attractiveness of Persian lamb fur, together with the diminishing supplies of the natural furs, render a return of lower values doubtful and a further advance not unlikely.

Some idea of values of various grades of skins can be obtained from the prices of those shown in the illustrations.  The values of April, 1915, were assigned by a leading New York firm of fur dealers. As stated, fur values at that time were unusually low, and the values then quoted are useful chiefly to show the differences in the various skins.

Plate XXXIX. Imported skin, valued $10, April, 1915.


XL. Skin from lamb having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Barbados. Valued $10, 1913, and $6, April, 1915.


XLI. Skin from lamb having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Lincoln. Valued $7, April, 1915,


XLII. Imported skin, valued $5, April, 1915.


XLIII. Skin from lamb having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Barbados. Valued $5, April, 1915.


XLIV. Five-day-old skin from lamb having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Cotswold. Valued $4.50, April, 1915.


XLV. Two-day-old skin from lamb having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Barbados. Valued October, 1918, $7.50; April, 1915, $4.


XLVI. Skin from lamb raised in Texas, having two crosses of Karakul blood, grand dam being Lincoln. Valued $4, April, 1915.


XLVII. Skin from lamb sired by Karakul, dam being Cheviot. Valued $3, April, 1915.


XLVIII. Two-day-old skin from lamb sired by Karakul, dam being Merino. Of no value from a furrier’s point of view.

THE KARAKUL SHEEP.

NATIVE HOME AND DEVELOPMENT.

The Karakul sheep takes its name from Kara Kul (black lake), a village in the eastern part of Bokhara, a Province in Central Asia. This Province, which is a protectorate of the Russian Empire, comprises about 85,000 square miles.

A large part of the area has an elevation of about 8,000 feet. About one-tenth of the country is used for crop raising by the aid of irrigation. In all parts of Bokhara the summers are very hot and dry. In the lowlands winter temperatures of 20° F. are common, while the highlands, where sheep are more numerous, have still lower temperatures and a longer winter season. The best feed occurs from the middle of March until the middle of May, after which vegetation rapidly dries up. The areas on which the sheep run in winter are frequently covered with snow and in some years sheep losses are heavy. In more recent years, and since the increase in values of lambskins and sheep, some feed is stored for winter use. In moving from place to place for feed and water the flocks travel considerable distances, rendering it impracticable to furnish shelter or large supplies of feed.

The number of sheep in this territory is estimated at from 8,000,000 to 4,000,000, and the annual exports of lambskins are known to average about 1,500,000. The skins are collected by dealers and traders, most of them to be resold at the annual summer fair at Nijni Novgorod, in Russia, 9792 miles by rail east from Moscow. About 166 skins are packed into a bale and ordinarily not assorted for export to various countries until after becoming the property of the dealers, largely Germans from Leipzig, who purchase them at Nijni Novgorod. In Leipzig the skins are sorted into uniform lots for export to various parts and a few are also dyed, though as a rule the dyeing is not done until the skins reach the firm by which they are to be made up for wearing apparel.

The increasing popularity of Persian lamb fur in various countries caused a steady advance in prices of raw skins.  In New York imported dyed skins of the first class sell in small lots at from $12 to $20 each, though there are many skins imported which command as low as $3. There is no duty upon undressed skins, while those not advanced further than dyeing pay 30 per cent duty. Skins of prematurely born lambs vary in value from 25 cents to $9. The average wholesale value of all skins sold at Nijni Novgorod in 1918 was $6.25.

It appears that the foundation of the present fur-bearing sheep was the early native Arabi. The blood of the Arabi has been disseminated and in combination with that of the black Danadar produced the sheep kept in the vicinity of the village from which the Karakul derived its name. With the rapid rise in values beginning in 1895 there was incentive to increase the size of flocks by purchase of ewes available from surrounding territory but low in fur quality. The offspring of such ewes, by rams from the older flocks, had marketable skins. With no reservations of select animals for raising rams, and with the general custom of killing the ram lambs while retaining the ewes, the value of the sires seriously declined.  It has been stated that the fur quality of the Bokharan flocks was in danger of being lost. Steady high values for skins prompted an effort toward preservation of the better stock and in some degree arrested deterioration. It would seem, however, that with a system of matings whereby the sire and dam of each lamb are known, and careful study made and records kept of each lamb so bred, the qualities may be fixed and enhanced, as has been done with many other characters of sheep.

The Karakul sheep of Bokhara that yield the Persian lamb fur can be said to represent a type, although those Europeans who have studied them state that there is considerable variation within flocks as well as within lots of skins sent to market. The use of single rams and recording of parentage of lambs raised is practiced very little if at all. There are no books of record. It may, therefore, not be technically correct to speak of these sheep as a breed in the sense of the best use of the word. However, in the appearance of the lambs’ coats these sheep have a character of value not found in other sheep and which they transmit to their offspring.  In the lack of a term to fit accurately the Karakuls it will not be amiss to refer to them as a breed, using the word in a liberal sense.

The Karakul is a sheep of medium size, with black face and legs, and a long, coarse fleece of some shade of gray.  The rams are horned and the ewes polled, though occasion- ally polled rams and horned ewes occur. The body of the Karakul has not a close resemblance to that of any of the breeds well known in America. It has the narrow back and flat sides common to sheep not bred for meat production. A depression back of the shoulders and a high loin are usually present. The rump is of itself quite drooping, and a very distinctive character is the shape and size of the tail. This is not the long tail of the European breeds, neither can the Karakul be said to belong to the fat-rumped class common in Asiatic countries. It is described as “broad-tailed.” Being quite short and very broad next to the body, fat accumulates in this part and forms a triangular development that may weigh 5 or 6 pounds, extending toward the hocks. The lower part of the tail is frequently sharply curved. This broad-tailed feature is only slightly developed in the lambs at birth, becoming pronounced in mature animals. Other peculiar features are shown in the head. The face is narrow and decidedly Roman-nosed. The ears are small, pendulous, and set somewhat low. The fleece is from 6 to 10 inches long, decidedly coarse, and at the outer ends lying in separate small locks. (See Pls. XLIX and L.)

   

In some specimens of the breed there is a noticeable amount of finer and softer wool near the skin. This undercoat is not desired in breeding animals, as it is stated that the lambs 4 having the best curl and luster come from parents having the least fine wool. Karakul fleeces are commonly sold as carpet wool. A pronounced glossiness of the hair of the face and legs and evidence of curls on these parts are regarded as indications of ability to produce lambs with skins of good luster and curled all over.

The Karakul, as a result of its environment, is adapted to areas of extreme temperatures and limited rainfall. Lambs dropped in Maryland in August have shown marked thrift and a rapid growth which is less marked after three months.  This is not surprising when it is considered that the average mature weight is not much above 100 pounds for ewes. Reports from Texas parties who have raised imported, native-born, and grade Karakuls state that they were better able to resist cold and storms than sheep of other breeds. The conformation of the Karakul does not commend him as a mutton producer. While the hardiness of the mature stock and the size of the lambs are desirable qualities, the use of Karakul blood to impress them upon a flock bred for mutton would sacrifice a good deal of the desired conformation and would not be advisable under conditions affording reasonable feed and care. In flocks of mutton type which must necessarily be kept upon range subject to extreme conditions, careful use of Karakul blood might give results of value apart from consideration of the fur value.

There would seem to be an opportunity for careful and experienced breeders in other countries having conditions suitable to the Karakul sheep to improve the breed greatly and to establish the Persian lamb fur-producing industry in their localities. The possibilities of large profits from breeding fur-bearing sheep has, in fact, resulted in active efforts to establish the industry in several other countries.  Despite the difficulties of securing possession of good sheep and of removing them from Bokhara, considerable numbers have reached distant parts of the world. From 1907 to 1910 annual exportations averaged 1,577 head to Asiatic Russia, 418 to European Russia, and 221 to western countries; some of those enumerated as going to Russia reached other countries. Flocks of Karakuls have been established in European Russia, Roumania, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Argentina, German West Africa, British South Africa, Scotland, Canada, and the United States.

Though no detailed records of results are available, it is claimed that good skins have been produced by Karakul sheep and their descendants of unmixed breeding in all of these countries. In South Africa attention appears to have been centered less upon fur production than upon the value of Karakul blood in better adapting the native sheep for “the drought-ridden districts of the northwest Cape.” In others of the countries named the sheep have been largely used in breeding experiments planned to show -what types of sheep already at hand can be mated with Karakuls with the greatest promise of producing valuable skins. It is as yet impossible to forecast the extent of future supplies of skins that may be produced outside of Asiatic Russia.

Only three lots of Karakul sheep have reached this country.  These were all imported by Dr. C. C. Young and comprise a total of 31 rams and 23 ewes. A number of the rams have never been satisfactorily tested as to their ability to sire lambs with valuable skins, and, as would be expected even in a breed of fixed type, some individuals have proved to be much stronger breeders than others. A number of the rams together with some of their descendants have been sold to persons in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and for a number of others it is impossible to secure definite information as to the number of their progeny. So far as can be ascertained, the imported animals and the descendants now in this country are in the hands of 8 or 9 persons in the States of Texas, Kansas, and New York, who reported in May, 1914, a total ownership of 83 rams and about 30 ewes.  The rams have been largely used upon long-wool ewes, and there are over 1,000 head of half and three-quarters Karakul ewes and rams in this country. With further crossing these ewes should prove valuable as producers of fur-bearing lambs, and at some later time, of breeding rams. The present value of the grade Karakul rams from the standpoint of fur production can safely be ignored.

Owing to the wide demand for the small number of Karakul Tams available, very high prices are asked. In the cases of rams found to be strongly prepotent in the transmission of fur qualities the high prices can be easily returned a the value of the offspring. The probability of such prepotency in imported males or descendants of imported stock is not sufficient to warrant very high prices for rams of untested breeding qualities.

Under common farm conditions Karakuls and grade Karakuls have proved healthy and vigorous, though there are indications that moist sections and low altitudes may, directly or indirectly, cause losses in both lambs and mature sheep. Although climate would seem to have no direct effect upon the character of the skin of a newly born lamb, persons proposing to breed Karakuls should exercise caution in the selection of a location.

The number of Karakul rams imported into the United States has been considerably in excess of the number of ewes. Much reliance has been placed upon the prospect of securing valuable skins from lambs sired by Karakul rams and out of ewes of other breeds. Ewes of the longer and coarser-wooled breeds have appeared most likely to be of value in such crossing. While some skins of value have been secured from first-cross lambs, the advantage of as much as possible of Karakul blood in the dam is apparent. Black-Faced Highland ewes are reported as having furnished a useful cross, though no ewes of this breed were used in our experiment. Cotswold and Lincoln ewes have been more largely used.

Of eight skins taken from lambs produced by Cotswold ewes to the service of Karakul rams, three were valued at $1 in the raw state, although all were black and had considerable curl. The same statement can be made of practically all first-cross lambs from Karakul sires. A skin may be black and have curls and yet have little value because of the lack of luster and the poor style of curl.

Six skins were procured from lambs produced by Cheviot ewes to the service of Karakul sires. One of these was valued in the raw state at $3 and another at $1. (See Pl. XLVII.)

Of five skins from lambs of Merino ewes and Karakul sires, none had sufficient fur value to repay the charge of 50 cents per skin for dyeing. These skins were particularly poor in luster and the character of curl was still poorer than in the other crosses. (See Pl. XLVIII.)

The sire of most of the lambs referred to above was a particularly good individual, though he had never been used sufficiently upon Karakul ewes to afford a measure of his ability to sire lambs with valuable skins. The poor results obtained by using Cheviot and Merino ewes would make it appear that none of the fine or medium wooled breeds are likely to have much value in the production of fur-bearing lambs. Though still inferior, the distribution and style of curl upon the skins of lambs from Cotswold ewes was superior to that in the other two crosses as well as in the Barbados cross discussed later.

From the service of the best of the two rams used in the first crosses, 59 lambs were obtained from Barbados ewes. The Barbados has a short, rather stiff, and hairy coat, and it was thought might afford a satisfactory means of utilizing the Karakul rams. From these 59 cross-bred Karakul- Barbados lambs, 33 ewes were raised. None of the skins from the remainder of the lambs had any fur value. Some skins devoid of curl had a pronounced luster, but in none was the curl a close approach to what the trade demands even in the lower grades of skins.

Even though the lambs of the first cross from Karakul sires should not themselves yield valuable fur, they may be expected to have extra value as breeders. In the spring of 1913, 15 half-bred Karakul-Barbados yearling ewes were bred to a second imported Karakul ram. These ewes produced 18 lambs in the following August, of which 7 ram lambs and 1 ewe lamb were killed and their skins, after dressing, ranged in value from 50 cents to $10 (basis of October, 1913, prices), averaging $4.70 each. In the spring of 1914 the same lot of Karakul-Barbados ewes produced 25 lambs sired by a third imported Karakul ram. There is, apparently, considerable variation in the prepotency of individual Karakul rams, as the second lot of lambs of three-quarters Karakul blood were much inferior to the first lot from the same ewes. Feed and condition of the ewe may be factors in controlling the character of the lamb’s skin, but although the ewes were bred quite soon after their first lambing their condition or treatment could hardly be held to explain the difference in appearance of the lambs of the first and second crops. Nine rams and 1 ewe of the 1914 lot of three-quarters Karakul and one-quarter Barbados lambs were killed. Of these 10 skins, the 2 best ones were valued at $1 and $3. A group of the ewe lambs having three-quarters Karakul blood are shown in Plate L. A few of them had skins somewhat superior to those of the male lambs killed. These ewes were to have been mated in the spring of 1915, but were destroyed in the burning of the sheep barn on March 31.

In the spring of 1914 a half-blood Karakul-Cotswold ewe dropped a lamb of three-quarters Karakul blood, the skin of which was valued at $4. (Pl. XLIV.)

It is altogether reasonable to expect a flock of ewes well graded up by use of successive Karakul sires to prove satisfactory as producers of marketable skins.

A Texas breeder who has used Karakul rams upon Lincoln ewes, in 1914 had 225 half Karakul ewes which had been bred to Karakul rams. Twenty skins from lambs of half and three-quarters Karakul blood were valued by a New York firm in May, 1914, at an average of $4.25, 1 being then valued at $7 and 7 at $5 and over. In 1915, 23 skins were taken from three-quarters-bred rams that died at birth or could not be reared. This lot was appraised at an average of $3.25 each on the basis of the 1915 market. Five of the lot were each worth $5 or over, and 3 below $2. Photographs of some of these skins are reproduced in Plates XLI and XLVI.

Since information has been distributed as to the apparent possibilities of producing Karakul lambs in the United States, considerable interest has been shown in the use of rams having only half Karakul blood. This interest has in some cases been stimulated by owners of such stock. The scarcity and high values of imported animals or of rams descended from imported rams and ewes is prohibitive to most persons. Because the half-blood ram has a fleece of dark color and with noticeable curl, or waviness when older, he appears to the novice as suitable for use in breeding.

Reports have also appeared stating that the offspring of such rams bred to long-wool ewes had fleeces that were black and curly. Such statements are technically correct but dangerously misleading. A lamb’s covering may be black in color and also curly, and yet be of no value whatever to the furrier. It is the character of the curl and the luster with the blackness that gives fur value. This is brought out in the illustrations of this article.

In April, 1914, there were produced in our own experiments 4 lambs sired by a ram of one-half Karakul and one-half Barbados blood, from ewes of the same cross and having the same sire as the ram. The lambs were all of the same general appearance as the direct offspring of the Karakul ram and Barbados ewes and none had value for fur purposes. In the spring of 1914, a three-quarters Karakul and one-quarter Barbados ram was bred to 7 ewes, producing 10 lambs. This ram when young showed fur qualities above those of the ewe lamb of the same crop and the skin of which was valued in New York at $10 (Pl. XL). The ewes bred to him were of the first Karakul-Barbados cross. One of them had previously been bred to a Karakul ram and produced a skin valued at $7.50.  Another had produced a lamb whose skin was of no value, while the other 5 had not produced lambs. None of the 10 lambs of this cross, which were theoretically of five-eighths Karakul blood, had skins of value. Not much was expected aside from further evidence as to the possible breeding value of rams having only 1 or 2 crosses of the blood of the breed having the qualities desired. A ram having one-half Karakul blood will add to a flock an infusion of the body features which this breed shows and will in a small measure and at low cost improve a flock that is to be later bred up for fur production. There is no prospect of securing marketable skins by breeding half-bred rams to ewes of any class.

It is very important that lambs should be killed at the right age in order to give the skins their maximum value.  Skins of prematurely born lambs have a peculiar gloss and softness, which does not, however, have a value above that of a good skin born at the normal time. The current idea that Persian lamb fur is secured from lambs removed from ewes prior to the time of natural birth is erroneous.  Our observations show that the value of the skins may often be greatly lessened by allowing the lambs to reach too great an age. The extra weight of the skin from a lamb that has reached an age of 5 days will seriously lower the value.  Occasionally a skin will improve in luster during the first few days after birth. Daily observations upon the condition of the skin were recorded for each lamb of the 1914 crop from birth until the skin began to deteriorate in fur value.  Although none of these three-quarters Karakul lambs had skins of high value, the changes due to age may be considered as fairly representative of those occurring in lambs producing fur of good quality. In no case was it found that the character of the curl improved after birth. In most cases the curl retained its original closeness until the third day, and in about one-half of the skins it had begun to open on the fifth day, while at the ninth day it had opened considerably. The luster improved in most cases up to the fifth day, the change being most marked in skins having a poor luster at birth. It appears that while some skins may be improved in luster by being left until 5 days old, there is nothing gained in character of curl. In fact, after the third day there is a strong probability of a deterioration in the curl.

The method of removal and treatment of the lambskins should be as follows: Cut a straight line down the belly, and also cut down on the inside of the legs to meet the center line. Do not cut off any part of the skin; leave on the ears, nose, and tail to the tip. Be careful not to make unnecessary cuts. Stretch the skin evenly on a board, fur side down, and dry in a cool place. Do not salt the skin or double it up for shipment purposes. The principal object is to avoid cracking the skin. See that it is properly shaped when nailed down to the board and thoroughly dried before shipping. The skin should not be sun dried. In packing a number of skins the first one should be laid with the flesh side downward. The second should have the fur side downward. The next should be placed like the first, and so on.  This prevents the flesh sides from lying in contact with the fur.