By: Henny Nuraini
- LPPOM MUI Expert
- Department of Animal Husbandry Production & Technology, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, IPB University
- Halal Science Study Center -IPB University
Up until now there has been no evidence of the success of crosses between different genera. Pigs are descendants of the Sus family (genus) and are a monogastric herd, whereas sheep of the genus Ovis are ruminants.
At present various media are on the rise to preach about “Khanzarof” which is declared to be the result of a cross between pigs and sheep / goats (Video: Hoax: Goat and Swine Crosses). After further investigation, apparently the animal is Beltex sheep originating from Belgium. This type of sheep is the result of a cross between local Belgian sheep and Texel sheep. This sheep was developed by Belgian breeders assisted by Professor Roger Hanset of the University of Liege, a researcher who also developed Belgian Blue cattle. These crosses aim to produce broilers. This white-faced Beltex sheep can produce medium-sized wool with medium quality. In accordance with the purpose of the crossing, Beltex is classified as a double-muscle sheep, which is a sheep nation with a very dominant muscle, especially in the hindquarter.
Beltex adult males have an average body weight of 90 kg, while females range from 70 kg. Male and female sheep are generally not horned. The average height of an adult female sheep is about 50 cm and male sheep about 60 cm.
The Beltex Lamb Origin
Beltex-forming sheep are Texel sheep originating from Texel Island, in the north of the Netherlands. This sheep is the result of crossing from several sheep from England which are also known by several other names, such as Texelaar, Texelse, Improved Texel, and Verbeterde Texelse.
At present, the Beltex sheep population dominates the total number of sheep in the Netherlands, which is almost 70%. The Texel sheep breed which produces lean meat (lean meat) is also popular in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, the United States, and Uruguay. This type of sheep was first imported in 1985 by the Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska, United States.
In addition, Texel sheep were also exported to Britain in the early 1970s, and to New Zealand in 1988 through a genetic selection program. Not to forget, the Indonesian government also participated in developing Texel sheep around 1955-1957.
Dieng Mountains, Wonosobo Regency, Central Java was chosen as the development area. This is because the area has a climate similar to the area of origin of the Texel sheep. This sheep is known as Dombos or Wonosobo Lamb, the result of crossing Texel sheep with thin-tailed sheep and / or fat-tailed sheep. Although Texel sheep have advantages as a producer of meat and fur, in Indonesia, these sheep have only been cultivated as broilers. The percentage of Dombos carcasses reaches 55% above the average of other local sheep (40-45%) with less fat meat.
Government on June 17, 2011 through the decree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 2915 / Kpts / OT.140 / 6/2011 issued the Determination of the Wonosobo Sheep Clump as one of the local Indonesian sheep families, which has a uniform physical form and genetic composition as well as the ability to adapt well to environmental limitations. This sheep also has a different characteristic from the native sheep or other local sheep and is a wealth of genetic resources of local Indonesian cattle that need to be protected and preserved.
Hybrid Animals
Hybridization is a crossing or mating between different species in one genus. These crossed animals may be of different species, but are still in the same genus, for example between cattle (genus: Bos and species: Bos taurus, Bos indicus) and buffalo (genus: Bos and species: Bubalus bubalis). The crossing of these two types of livestock generally produces sterile offspring (if they are adults cannot have offspring).
The most likely form of crossing and the offspring as adults can have offspring again is crossing between subspecies in the same species, for example, the crossing between Balinese and Madura cattle or between Beltex sheep and Wonosobo sheep.
Some other hybrid animals that have been successfully crossed include:
1. Mule: female horse with male donkey
2. Zebroids: zebras and horses
3. Geep: sheep and goats
4. Beefalo: cow and buffalo
5. Dzo: wild cattle and yaks
6. Cama: cow and female Arabian camels
7. Liger: male lion and tigress
8. Wholphin: whales and dolphins.
Animals from cross-breeding of different species are generally carried out on endangered animals as pets. When they are adults, they cannot have children.
One of the factors that is very easily observed from hybrid animals is that they have similarities in the anatomical structure of the body. For example, Geep from crossing sheep and goats and Beefalo from crossing cows and buffaloes. The four types of livestock (sheep, goats, cows, and buffaloes) are ruminant animals, which are ruminant animals that have four stomach chambers. Furthermore, zebroids from zebra and horse crosses, both including monogastric livestock, that is, cattle with one gastric digestive system.
Until now there has been no evidence of the success of crosses between different genera. Pigs are descendants of the Sus family (genus) and are a monogastric herd, whereas sheep of the genus Ovis are ruminants.
Thus, it appears that crossing goats or sheep (ruminants) with pigs (monogastric animals) is unlikely to work. Both have different anatomical structures and distant kinship (derived from different genera: Ovis genus for sheep, genus Capra for goats, and genus Sus for pigs). In addition, until now there has not been a single publication that shows the results of mating between pigs with goats or sheep.
The author has also tried to trace the meaning of the word “Khanzarof”, whether it reflects the origin of animal species, but has not been able to find it until this article was published. In Russian, pork = svinina; goat = koza; sheep = ovtsa.
Thus, it is impossible for animals to be crossed between pigs and sheep, such as the one named “Khanzarof”. After careful attention, the animal is a Beltex sheep. Animals with short, stocky body postures, muzzles and dark eye circles, as well as full muscular thighs, if recorded with a fast video shoot technique, will indeed produce imagination as if these animals were the result of a cross between a pig and a goat or sheep. (***)
