Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep

Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep

　　Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep are raised in the farming areas of Bayannur City, including Urad Front Banner, Urad Middle Banner, Urad Rear Banner, Wuyuan County, Hanggin Rear Banner, and Linhe District. They are the product of crossbreeding among multiple breeds. In the early 1960s, the local government systematically introduced semi-fine-wool sheep such as Lincoln, Gates, and Romney to crossbreed with the local Mongolian sheep. In 1978, Xinjiang fine-wool sheep and strong-wool-type Oumi sheep were introduced, and extensive crossbreeding was carried out using artificial insemination techniques, resulting in a certain number of dual-purpose (wool and meat) fine-wool sheep. By 1992, German Mutton Merino sheep were used for stepwise crossbreeding, forming another group that approached the ideal meat sheep standards. After nearly 50 years of crossbreeding and improvement, the Bamei Mutton Sheep breed gradually emerged—well-suited for stall feeding, tolerant of coarse feed, highly resistant and adaptable, with fast weight gain in lambs, early sexual maturity, and particularly well-adapted to the natural environmental conditions and production methods of Bayannur’s farming areas. In 2007, after evaluation by the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Committee, it was officially named and announced under Announcement No. 878 of the Ministry of Agriculture.

　　III. Geographic Scope

　　Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep are produced throughout the entire administrative region of Bayannur City, which borders Baotou City and Ulanqab City to the east, Alxa League and Wuhai City to the west, faces the Yellow River to the south across which lies Ordos City, and borders Mongolia to the north. The city covers a total area of 64,000 square kilometers. The protected agricultural product geographic indication area for Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep includes 113 administrative villages across six banners, counties, and districts within Bayannur City. Geographically, it lies between 105°12′–109°53′ east longitude and 40°13′–42°28′ north latitude, stretching 278 kilometers from east to west and 238 kilometers from north to south. The region has a temperate continental climate, with altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 1,800 meters. The total production scale is 83,768 sheep and lambs.

　　IV. Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Appearance Characteristics: Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep are a dual-purpose (meat and wool) breed. They are hornless, large-bodied, sturdy, and proportionally built, with a broad and deep chest, straight back and loin, strong and relatively long limbs, full muscle, and a distinct meat-type conformation, appearing cylindrical in shape with early maturity. Their wool is homogeneous and white, tightly closed, of moderate density, and uniform fineness, predominantly 64s grade. Fine wool covers the area from the head to the line between the eyes, from the forelimbs to the wrist joint, and from the hind limbs to the hock joint. 2. Production Performance: Adult rams average 101.2 kg in weight; adult ewes average 60.5 kg, with an average reproduction rate of 151.7%; yearling rams average 71.2 kg; yearling ewes average 50.8 kg; average birth weight of lambs: ram lambs 4.7 kg, ewe lambs 4.32 kg. Lambs at 6 months of age show an average daily weight gain of over 230 g. At 6 months, lamb carcass weight averages 24.95 kg; dressing percentage is 51.13%. 3. Internal Quality Indicators: Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep have a protein content of around 20.2%; calcium content is 61.6 mg/kg, iron 24.6 mg/kg, phosphorus 38 mg/kg; essential fatty acid composition includes: myristic acid 1.95%, palmitic acid 20.70%, stearic acid 24.31%, oleic acid 38.18%, linoleic acid 3.87%, linolenic acid 9.69%. The fatty acid ratio is appropriate, demonstrating high nutritional value. 4. Safety Requirements: Hetao Bamei Mutton Sheep must comply with national mandatory technical standards and relevant laws and regulations during production. These include the safety requirements for pollution-free livestock and poultry meat under GB/T18406.3-2001, the "Regulations on Veterinary Drug Administration," the "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law," the "Regulations on Feed and Additives Administration," and the "Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People's Republic of China."