Sakiz

Sakiz is a Turkish Aegean sheep closely associated with Çeşme and often compared with the Greek Chios sheep. It is a white sheep with dark spotting around the mouth, eyes, ears, or legs, and rams may carry spiral horns while ewes are often polled. The breed is kept for milk, lamb, and carpet-type wool, with prolificacy and dairy value central to its reputation.

Sakiz sheep fit small and regional dairy-lamb systems better than harsh interior range conditions. Good management pays attention to udder health, lambing support, and nutrition during lactation, because high milk and multiple births require more than casual grazing. Breeders in western Anatolia have also used Sakiz influence in crossing programs to improve milk and lamb numbers. Buyers should distinguish Sakiz from generic white Turkish sheep by source, spotting pattern, tail form, and records from milking or lambing flocks.