Shami Cows and Goats: Authentic Syrian Livestock and Investment Challenges

• Origin and Distribution: They belong to the Asian Zebu breed and are known as Shami or Damascene cows. They are mainly distributed in the Ghouta of Damascus, its countryside, and across Syria in general.
• Physical Characteristics: Medium-sized cows, their color usually ranges between brown, black, pale yellow, and brick red.
• Milk Production: Characterized by good productivity, with an average milk production reaching up to 16 kg per day, and a fat percentage of up to 4%.

• Origin and Characteristics: A breed originating from the Ghouta of Damascus, it is classified globally as one of the best and most famous goat breeds. They feature wide eyes, long necks, long pendulous ears, and a clear misalignment of the upper and lower jaws with a prominent convexity in the nose. The body color is mostly brown or dark brown.
• Weights and Dimensions: The adult male's weight reaches about 90 kg (with a height of 90 cm), and the adult female reaches about 50 kg (with a height of 80 cm).
• Productive and Reproductive Characteristics:
  • The average weight of an adult male at sale reaches up to 400 kg, with a growth rate of 400 g per day, while the female reaches 350 kg.
  • Males reach sexual maturity at 15 months of age, and females at 17 months, with a birth rate of one kidding per year.
  • The breed is characterized by a high twinning rate, reaching up to 75% when good care and proper nutrition are provided.
  • The breed possesses high resistance to diseases compared to imported breeds.
• Genetic Improvement: Shami buck (male) goats have been used in genetic improvement programs in several countries of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Shami does (females) have also been used to improve local breeds and increase their productivity.
• Numbers and Distribution: Their numbers in Syria reached about 23,800 heads in 2008, but the numbers declined later due to war conditions and the decline of pastures.
• Economic Value: They enjoy a high economic value, and the prices of distinguished animals among them can reach thousands of dollars.

• The war conditions and the Syrian crisis.
• Scarcity of water resources and economic pressure.
• Decline of pasture lands and the Badia (desert).
• Weakness of preservation, collection, and investment programs for these breeds

​9/6/2026