Development of sheep rearing at commercial farms of Western Siberia in 1905-1920s

The article reviews points of development of sheep rearing at commercial farms of Western Siberia in 1905-1920. Reasons and conditions of forming the new direction in Siberian sheep breeding are identified, the role of country-side entrepreneurs in this process is shown. Methods of animal-keeping and animal-breeding are characterized, sheep rearing commercial farms over-all profitability is determined. It is emphasized that country-side entrepreneurs developed sheep rearing at their farms by changing the technology of sheep breeding, by setting various diets, by improving breeding and production properties of existing breeds. Farming entrepreneurs' complex measures for improving Siberian sheep breeding quality had a positive influence on the development of this sector of breeding. WWI brought serious changes. The war's negative consequences for country-side entrepreneurs appeared as lack of employable workers, bad supply line in farming machinery and its spare parts, lowered fixed prices for products, which forced entrepreneurs to lower the quantity of sheep and the sowing area. The 1917 Revolution events, followed by the Russian Civil War, enhanced the negative tendencies in sheep breeding development. Many commercial farms were almost irretrievably ruined, because land was occupied by local people, hay grounds were redistributed and resources were captured by state agencies. Anti-Bolshevik governments were not able to recreate the "former cultural hearths". In the end of 1919 - the beginning of 1920 Soviet state agencies used former commercial farms as bases to establish sovkhozes and kolkhozes which at this stage had an expressed consumption nature. During this period the Decree of People's Commissars Council on July 19, 1918 was enacted about transfer of all breeding animals the army establishments collected as a result of many requisitions and mobilization, captured from the enemy to land authorities. Later on, regional Soviet farms which had breeding sheep united into specialized farms. This allowed to centrally solve the problems of feed supply, repair works and construction of utility areas, saving the number of animals. After all, this led to a gradual increase of the number of sheep in the state sector. In conclusion are stated that cultural sheep breeding, perspective and dynamically developing Siberian animal breeding section, has suffered terrible damage from the events of Revolution, World War I and the Russian Civil War. Sheep breeding in pre-war and pre-revolution periods was the high-value part of business households. That is why market-oriented entrepreneurs were forced to liquidate this commodity part of their farms in the conditions of the political crisis and economic non-stability.

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