In 1985, he was drafted into the army and sent to Germany, and two years later he returned home.
“After returning, I started working in construction, and then I graduated from the Zhambyl Technical School with a degree in accounting. Later, I worked in a local store. In 1992, when the Soviet Union collapsed, we acquired 385 Merinos and named our farm ‘Amanbai Asyl Tukum Koy Charbasy,’” he shared.
These sheep are known for their wool, and with good feeding, one sheep can produce up to 5 kg, while rams can yield up to 8 kg of wool.
The price of one kilogram of wool is 200 soms. It is used to make many products, including expensive clothing and töshöki. Folk artisans order wool from this breed to create kalpaks, the traditional Kyrgyz headwear,” Amanbaev added.
He noted that a Merino lamb costs from 10,000 soms, while an adult animal can reach up to 15,000 soms.
“I have about 800 sheep on my farm, and I try to keep at least 500. Every year we get about 250 lambs. We sell the adult sheep, and the young ones replenish the herd,” he said.
According to Aibek, lambs are very weak at birth and require special care. “During lambing, we take turns keeping watch — I, my wife, or my son, and we don’t sleep. After birth, we clean the lamb’s mouth, cut the umbilical cord, and bring it to its mother so it can start nursing. If it can’t do this, we feed it from a bottle. These sheep are very calm and graze without fuss. The meat of Merinos is more nutritious than that of ordinary Kyrgyz sheep,” he noted.
Aibek is married and has two sons, two daughters, and eight grandchildren.
