Taleshi sheep are from Iran, numbering some 400,000 animals
in the north of the country, and distributed in the northern and western parts
of Gilan Province in the mountains between Assalem, Khalkhal, Oshkourat, and
Deilaman. They can can also be found in some areas of the Guilan-Zanjan border.
Their mean adult live weight ed is 35 kg (77 lbs) for rams
and 31 kg (67 lbs) for ewes. Their coat is yellowish-white to pure white, but
brown patches are found on their head, face and at the bottom of the legs. They
are valued mainly due to their small size, meat, and ability to live in
mountainous areas with rain-fed foothills and foothill steppes with 1300 mm (51
inches) rain.
Hamed Kioumarsi and others have examined a new
method in order to estimate the relation between component of carcass quality
and quantity in Taleshi lambs, and with regard to the results, it can be
concluded that this breed has a high potential for using the ratios by higher
levels of energy and protein for obtaining the best growth performance.