This document summarizes sheep breeds found in India. It describes indigenous breeds from different regions including the North-Western arid and semi-arid region. Some key breeds from this region discussed include Chokla/Raata Munda, Nali, Marwari, Magra, and Jaisalmeri which are well-adapted to the harsh climate and produce wool suited for carpets. Exotic breeds introduced to India like Merino and Rambouillet are also summarized briefly for their wool producing abilities.

1. Presented by,
K.Plavan Majunder,
Rvm/17-44.
Cvsc,Rajendranagar.
SHEEP BREEDS

2. Total world breeds of sheep 920
In India FAO recognized 60 & ICAR 42
The domestic sheep of Asia have descended from
Urial (Ovis vignei).
The domestic sheep of Europe have descended
from Muflon (Ovis Musimon).
Classification : Exotic &Indigenous breeds.
Indigenous breeds:
A.Based on utility
B.Based on Morphology
C.Based on Agroclimatic zones

3. Based on utility
Apparel wool
Eg : Kashmir Merino ,Nilgiri ,Avivastra ,Bharat Merino, Karnah
,Nali,chokla ,Nilagiri ,Gurez ,Changthangi ,Gaddi ,Magra
,Sonadi
Carpet Wool
Chokla ,Nali ,Pattanwadi,Tibetan ,Avikalin ,Gaddi
Poonchi ,Chottanagpuri ,Coimbatore ,Marwari Jaisalmeri Pugal
Meat & carpet
Muzzafarnagari ,Jalauni ,Deccani ,Bellary ,Ganjam ,Balangir Shahabadi
,Madrasred ,Trichi Black Kanguri
Meat
Nellore ,Mandya ,Hassan,Mecheri ,Ramnad ,Kilakarsal
Vembur
Meat, wool and milk Sonadi

4. Morphology
Woolly breeds Hairy breeds
Mandya
Nellore
Fat tailed
Thin tailed
Polled
Bikaneri,Lohi,
Jaluani etc.
Horned
Bellary,Gaddi,
Deccani,
Hissardale,Hassan
etc.
Polled
Horned
Khorsani &
Wazri.
Bhakarwal,Baluchi
etc

5. According to agro climatic
regions of India
1.Northern Temperate region
2.North-western Arid and Semiarid region
3.Southern peninsular region
4.Eastern region

6. Exotic Breeds
In order to evolve new breeds of superior quality a few
exotic breeds of sheep have been introduced in India.

7. Exotic breeds
Wool breeds Mutton breeds
Suffolk
Dorset
South down
Fine wool Medium wool Long coarse wool Fur breed
Merino
Rambouillet
Polworth
Hampshire
Cheviot
Corriedale
Lincoln
Licestor
Romney marsh
Karakul

8. Merino
• Fine wool breed originated from
spain.
• Merinos - hardiness and longevity.
• Face & legs are white & the skin is
pink.
• Rams mostly have heavy spiral
horns, ewes - polled.
• The head and legs are generally
covered by wool.
• Mature rams - 75 kg, ewes 65 kg.
• Fleece yield varies widely depending
on environmental conditions and
time of breeding but averages 4 to 5
kg for rams & 3 to 4 kg for ewes.
• The staple length is 5 to 10 cm.

9. Rambouillet
 Descendant of old Spanish Merino, France.
 Large, rugged, fast-growing sheep.
 The wool - long staple fair density, uniformity & moderate shrinkage.
 The rams - large spiral horns or polled. ewes - polled.
 The face & legs - white, skin is pink.
 Mature rams in good condition and full fleece weigh from 100 to 125
kg and ewes 60 to 90 kg.
 Imported to india from Texas.

10. Mutton breeds
Specialized mutton breeds that mature fast, have high
prolificacy, higher body weight gains, high feed
conversions, high carcass yield and produce good quality
mutton, have been developed.
These are generally maintained under more intensive
management unlike the apparel wool sheep.
From time to time, India has imported these mutton sheep
breeds mostly from U.K. and other countries to improve
mutton production in the indigenous breeds.

11. Suffolk
• England.
• Straight legs & large size.
• The head & ears are entirely free
from wool & black face,legs and
ear.
Carcass is full of lean meat evenly
marbled and with no waste fat;
favour is excellent. Mature rams in
good condition weigh 100 to 135
kg and ewes 70 to loo kg.
• The fleece is moderately short,
dense and fine.
• The greasy wool yield is 2.75 to
3.25 kg annually.
• First and the foremost mutton
breed.
• The ewes are very prolific and
excellent milkers.

12. Dorset
• Southern England.
• Face,ears,legs are white in colour and
practically free from wool.
• Ears are of medium size, thin, silky &
carried well forward.
• Nostrils, lips and skin are pink.
• Hooves - white.
• Carcass of medium weight, superior
quality meat.
• Wool is short, close, fine in texture.
• A mature ram in good condition weighs
80 to 110 kg & ewe 50 to 80 kg.
• The breed is prolific.
• It is hardy and is capable of doing well
under most conditions.

13. South down
• Excelled mutton conformation.
• The animals - low set, compact, wide and deep with legs set
wide apart and have broad head with a wool cap that comes just
below the eyes.
• The breed is polled although scurs are sometimes found on
rams.
• The eyes are large, bright & prominent,
• Ears medium size & covered with short wool.
• Ewes are not too prolific & are only average milkers.
• Breed is early maturing.
• Fleece is short, close, fairly dense & of fine quality.
• Mature rams in good condition weigh 130kg.

14. SOUTH DOWN

15. Dual-purpose breeds
• Corriedale is the only imported dual purpose breed in
India.
• The dual purpose breeds combine meat production quality
with wool production qualities.
Corriedale
• New Zealand.
• Lincoln and Leicaster rams were crossed with Merino ewes.
• By inter-breeding and careful selection, a uniform type was
established that produced a good balance of mutton and wool.
• They produce avg.of 4.5-5.5 kg greasy wool.
• Mature ram in good condition weighs 80-110 kgs,ewes 55-85 kgs.
• These sheep were named after the Corriedale estate of Otago
where the experimental cross-breeding was done.

16. CORRIEDALE

17. Awassi
The Awassi evolved as a
nomadic sheep breed through
centuries of natural and
selective breeding to become
the highest milk producing
breed in the Middle East.
The breed is of the Near
Eastern Fat-tailed type.

18. Pelt /fur breeds
Maintained for lamb pelts which are used for garments.
Poor mutton quality and the fleece from the nature animals are
of coarse carpet type and thus of relatively lower value.
Karakul is the chief pelt type breed.
Karakul is bred primarily because of the suitability of the lamb pelts for
fur garment manufacture.
Face,ears,and legs are black or brown
It is very well adapted to extreme climate conditions and sparse
vegetation resources.
 The lamb pelts are produced through slaughtering of lambs within 24
to 48 hours of birth.

19. Dorper
 The Dorper is a South African mutton breed developed in the 1930's from the
Dorset Horn and Blackheaded Persian. The breed was developed for the arid extensive
regions of South Africa.
 One of the most fertile of sheep breeds that is hornless with good body length and a
short light covering of hair and wool.
 The breed has the characteristic black head (Dorper) as well as white heads (White
Dorper).
 breed shows exceptional adaptability, hardiness, reproduction rates and growth
(reaching 36 kg [~80 lbs] at three and a half to four months) as well as good mothering
abilities
 The Dorper breed is now numerically the second largest breed in South Africa and has
spread to many countries throughout the world
 The Dorper is primarily a mutton sheep and meets these requirements exceptionally
well. The Dorper has a long breeding season which is not seasonally limited
 A lambing percentage of 150% can be reached under good conditions

20. Breeds of sheep in different agro-
ecological regions in india
NORTH-WEST
ARID&SEMI-
ARID
NORTHERN
TEMPERATE
SOUTHERN EASTERN
Chokla
Nali
Marwari
Magra
Jaisalmeri
Pugal
Malpura
Sonadi
Pattanwadi
Muzffarnagari
Jalauni
Hissardale
Munjal
Gaddi
Rampur Bushair
Bhakarwal
Poonchi
Karnah
Gurez
Kashmir Merino
Deccani
Nellore
Bellary
Hassan
Mandya
Mecheri
Kilakarsal
Vembur
Coimbatore
Nilgiri
Ramnad White
Madras Red
Tiruchi black
Kenguri
Chottanagpuri
Balangir
Ganjam
Tibetan sheep
Bonpala
Garole
Shahbadi

21. North-Western arid and semi arid region
sheep.
• The region comprises the States of Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Gujarat, and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh,chattisgarh.
• This region has 2nd
highest sheep population.
• Wool prodused is mostly suited for manufacturing carpets
,pelts and blankets.

22. Chokla/ Raata munda
Districts of Churu, Sikar and Nagaur of Rajasthan.
Body-medium size, square and compact.
Head small with brown colour.
Face -free of wool, broad forehead
having prominent Roman nose.
Ears small to medium in length
and tubular.
Both sexes - polled.
Age at first lambing(avg) 18 m,yearly
Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 2.03,2.01 female
 Weight(Avg Kg) 41.1, 29.9 in female
Finest wool among all Rajasthan breeds.
Average yield is b/w 1.5 to 1.75 kg/per annum.
Raata munda stands for dark brown coloured face

23. Nali
Ganganagar, Churu and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan.
Hisar dist of Haryana
Medium-sized animals.
Face colour -light brown extends
to neck region
Both sexes - polled.
Ears - large and leafy.
Forehead is covered with wool
Fleece - white, coarse, dense and long-stapled.
Forehead, belly & legs are covered with wool.
Average Fleece yield is b/w 1.5 to 2 kg per year
Mature ram weights (avg) 38.85 kg, ewes 31.38 kg.
 Nali sheep are accustomed to night grazing and stubble grazing.

24. MARWAR
I
Home tract : Rajasthan.
Face is typically black and the colour
extends up to lower part of neck.
Fleece is white and not very dense.
 Ears extremely small & tubular.
Both sexes - polled.
Tail - short to medium & thin.
Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 2.98
Weight(Avg Kg)30.66,26.11 ewes
Fleece wt 1.78 kgs
Flocks of Marwari sheep go on
migration for a period of six
months.

25. Magra
Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Udaipur
Banswara districts of Rajasthan.
Well built body , light pink skin covering.
white face, light brown patches around
the eyes, characteristic of this breed.
Ears- small to medium & tubular.
Both sexes -polled.
Fleece- medium carpet quality, extremely
white &lustrous.
 Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 2.2 -2.4.
 Weight(Avg Kg)36.8, ewe 30.4.
Fleece Weight(kg/year) 1.5 to 2.5 kg

26. JAISALMERI
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmer,Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.
Tall, well-built animals.
 Black or dark brown face, colour extending up to the neck.
Typical Roman nose.
Long drooping ears, with a cartilaginous appendage.
Both sexes - polled.
The tail is medium to long.
The fleece colour- white.
 Fleece is of medium carpet quality.
Fleece Weight(kg/year)1.54
Weight(Avg Kg) 27.78,29.94 in ewes

27. PUGAL
Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
Fairly well-built animals.
Black face, small light brown stripes on
either side above the eyes.
Lower jaw typically light brown.
Ears are short and tubular.
Both sexes are polled.
White fleece, of medium carpet quality.
Fleece wt 1.6kg/yr.
Birth Weight(Avg Kg)2.62.
Weight(Avg Kg)41.02,36.96 in ewes.

28. MALPURA
Jaipur, Ajmer,Tonk districts in
Rajasthan.
 Nose is typically roman.
Face light brown extending upto neck.
Ears are short & tubular, with a small
cartilaginous appendage on the upper
side.
Both sexes are polled.
Tail is medium to long and thin.
White fleece, extremely coarse and used
for making felts and coarse carpets
Belly and legs are devoid of wool.
 Ewes yield good quantity of milk (400 g)
 Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 3.3.
 excellent mutton breed of northwestern semiarid
region of India.
 Weight(Avg Kg)41.57,24.28 in ewes.
 Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months) 33.

29. Sonadi
Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Banswara &
Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan.
The name Sonadi means one with
golden fibres.
Fairly well built, smaller than
Malpura with long legs.
Light brown/white face.
 Ears-long, flat and drooping.
 Both sexes are polled.
Udder is fairly well developed.
White fleece, extremely coarse .
Belly and legs are devoid of wool.
Birth Weight(Avg Kg)2.23-2.52.
Adult B.wt 40.4,28.5 in ewes.
Parturition Interval 18 months.

30. MUZZAFARNAGRI
• Breedingtract:Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar,
Meerut, Bulandshahr, Bijnor district of UP,
Dehradun of Uttaranchal.
• Face line slightly convex.
• Face & body white with occasional patches of
brown or black.
• Ears & face occasionally black.
• Both sexes are polled.
• Ears are long & drooping.
• Tail is extremely long &reaches fetlock.
• Fleece-white, coarse.0.6-1 kg/yr.
• Belly & legs are devoid of wool.
• Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 3.1.
• Weight(AvgKg)50.21,39.61 in ewes.
• It is one of the heaviest and largest sheep breeds
of India

31. JALAUNI
Jalaun, Jhansi,Lalitpur districts of
U.P. Tikamgarh,Datia of MP.
White body colour with white or
black face. A few animals are
completely black with straight
nose line.
Both sexes are polled.
Ears are large, flat & drooping.
Tail is thin & medium in length.
Fleece is coarse, short-stapled, &
white.
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months)
21.with 12 months interval.

32. NORTHERN TEMPERATE REGION
The region extends from Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, hill districts of Punjab to Garhwal
district of Uttar Pradesh.
Gaddi
Gurez
Rampur Bushair
Bhakarwal
Poonchi
Karnah
Kashmir Merino

33. Gaddi
Billaspur,Chamba,kangra,kullu,
Lahul & Spiti dist of Himachal
predesh.
Usually white although tan, brown
and black and mixtures of these are
also seen.
Horned in both sexes.
Fleece is relatively fine and dense ,1-
1.5 kg/yr.
Birth Weight(Avg Kg) 3.16 - 3.41.
Weight(Avg Kg) 26.59.
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months)
23.75

34. Gurez
Baramulla dist of J&K.
Biggest - Kashmir breeds.
Ewes - good milkers.
Body colour is predominantly white with
brown or black colour on muzzle and around
eyes.
Tails - short but broad.
Males are generally horned,females are
polled.
Multiple horns detected in some animals of
both the sexes in Gurez breed
Average yield -0.8-1 kg/year
Mutton - superior quality.
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months)24-
30

35. Rampur
bushair
Districts of Kinnaur,Shimla,lahul&spiti of Himachalpradesh.
Mainly apparel / superior carpet type wool, followed by meat.
 Fleece colour is predominantly white with brown extremities including face, neck,
belly and legs.
Ears are flat & drooping.
Nose - Roman type.
Males & females horned.
Fleece - medium quality.
Legs, belly & face devoid
of wool
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months) 29.69.
Parturation interval:7.4 months

36. Bhakarwal
Udhampur,jammu,rajouri dist of J&K.
Entirely migratory.
Long sized, sturdy & straight backed.
In spite of big bulk - excellent climbers.
Rams- horned, ewes – hornless
Ears are horizontal and directed
backwards.
 Head, face and legs are devoid of wool.
1.5 kg of long coarse wool/yr.
 Weight(Avg Kg) 42,33 in ewes.

37. THE SOUTHERN PENINSULAR REGION
This region is semi-arid in the central peninsula and hot and
humid along the coast.
It comprises the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other territories in the central
area.
This region has the largest sheep population of the country: 20.54
m, i.e. 51.4% of the total.
 Almost half of these produce no wool; the rest produce very
coarse, hairy and colored fleeces.
Most sheep in this region, except the Nilgiri, are maintained
primarily for meat.

38. DECCANI
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Medium-sized animals
Black or black with white markings; white & brown/fawn
animals are also seen.
Face is narrow with Roman nose.
Rams – horned, ewes - polled.
Ears - medium to long, flat & drooping.
Tail is short & thin.
Fleece - extremely coarse, hairy & open.
Belly is covered , legs upto shoulder
covered with wool.
Fleece Weight(kg/year)0.74.
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months)15.67 with 9.48 months interval

39. BELLARY
Bellary, Chitradurga, Davanagere,
Haveri district of Karnataka.
Medium-sized animals.
Coat colour comprises various
combinations of black and white to
complete black.
One third males are horned;
females - polled.
Ears medium to long, flat & drooping.
Tail is short & thin.
Fleece - extremely coarse, hairy.0.2-
0.4 kg/yr
Belly and legs are devoid of wool.
Lambing interval 14-15 months.

40. NELLORE
 Nellore & Prakasham districts of Andhra Pradesh.
 Three varieties primarily on the basis of colour:
 “Palla”, completely white or white with light brown spots on head,
neck, back and legs.
 “Jodipi” (also called “Jodimpu”), white with black spots,
particularly around the lips, eyes & lower jaw, but also on belly and
legs.
 “Dora”, completely brown.
 Tall animals with little hair except at brisket, withers & breech.
 Rams - horned; ewes - polled.
 Ears long & drooping.
 Tail short & thin.
 86% of the animals carry wattles.

41. Age at first lambing (avg) : 28.2 months,with 14.2 months
lambing interval.
Birth weight :2.74 kgs.
Adult B.Wt:36.69 ram,30 kgs in ewes.
Dressing %:47.

43. MANDYA (also known as Bannur and Bandur)
 Mysore,mandya district of Karnataka.
 Relatively small animals.
 Unique in mutton quality.
 Colour is white, in some cases face is light
brown, & this colour may extend to the
neck.
 Compact body with a typical reversed
U-shape conformation from
the rear.
 Ears are long, leafy & drooping.
 Tail is short & thin.
 Slightly Roman nose.
 Both sexes - polled.
 Coat is extremely coarse & hairy.
 Age at lambing(Avg)32 months

44. HASSAN
Hassan district of Karnataka.
White body with light brown or
black spots.
Ears medium-long & semi
drooping.
39% males - horned; females -
polled.
Fleece - white, extremely coarse.
Legs and belly are generally devoid
of wool.
Weight(Avg Kg)32.8 rams,28.3 ewes.
Birth Weight(Avg Kg)2.21-2.39.
Lambing interval 15 months.

45. MECHERI
Coimbatore,salem,karur,namakkal
,erode,dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu.
The Skin is of the finest quality among all
the sheep breeds in India and is highly
priced.Medium-sized animals,
Generally body colour is light tan with
darker shade over the neck. White patches
are also seen in many animals.
Ears - medium-sized.
Both sexes - polled.
Tail is short & thin.
Body is covered with very short hairs.
Age at lambing(Avg):17.35m,
Lambing interval:6-8 m.

46. KILAKARSAL
Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi/Tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu.
Medium-sized animals.
Coat is dark tan, with black spots on head
(particularly the eyelids and lower jaw), belly
and legs.
Eyes are prominent with black streak near the
inner canthus.
Ears - medium sized leaf like,semi pendulus.
Males have thick twisted horns.
Most animals have wattles.
Rams have long hair along the ventral surface
of neck.

47. VEMBUR (also called Karandhal)
Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
Tall animals.
Avg birth weight:1.97 kg,Adult B.Wt.34.33 kg,27.9 kg in female
Mutton purpose
Colour white, with irregular
red and fawn patches all
over the body.
 Ears are long & drooping.
Tail is thin & short.
 Males - horned; ewes - polled.
Body is covered with short hairs which are not shorn.

48. COIMBATORE
Coimbatore & erode districts of TN, bordering areas of Kerala &
Karnataka.
Medium-sized animals
 Body colour is white with varying extent of black or brown on
face,ears and neck.
Ears medium-sized & horizontally placed.
Tail is small & thin.
 38% of the males horned; females - polled.
 Fleece is white, coarse, hairy.
Age at first Parturition(Avg.Months):16.6
Lambing interval:7.7 m

49. NILGIRI
 Cross-breed base , contains an unknown level of inheritance of
Coimbatore, Tasmanian Merino, Cheviot and South Down.
 Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.
 Medium-sized animals.
 Body colour white; exceptionally there are
brown patches on face & body.
 Face line is convex, giving a typical Roman nose.
 Ears are broad, flat & drooping.
 Males have horn buds & scurs; females - polled.
 Tail medium & thin.
 Fleece is fine & dense.
 Birth Weight(Avg Kg):3.77.Adult wt.38.42 ram,32.43 ewes.

50. RAMNAD WHITE
Ramnad district, Pudukkottai, Sivaganda district of TN.
Medium-sized animals,
predominantly white; some animals
have fawn or black markings over
the body.
Ears – leaf like medium-sized ,
semipendulus.
Males twisted horns;
females – polled.
 Tail short & thin.

51. MADRAS RED
 Chingalpet , Kancheepuram,
Cuddalore, Villupuram districts of
TN.
 Medium-sized animals.
 predominantly brown, intensity
varying from light tan to dark
brown; some animals have white
markings on the forehead, inside the
thighs and on the lower abdomen.
 Ears are medium long & drooping.
 Tail is short & thin.
 Rams & ewes both horned
 Rams have strong corrugated &
twisted horns.
 Body covered with short hairs

52. TIRUCHY BLACK
Dharmapuri,salem,perambalur
district of Tamil Nadu.
completely black.
 Males - horned; ewes - polled.
 Ears short & directed downward
& forward.
Tail is short & thin.
fleece - extremely coarse,hairy
and open.
Weight(Avg Kg):25.79 ram,18.51
ewe

53. KENGURI
Hilly tracts of Raichur,koppala
district of Karnataka.
Medium-sized animals.
dark brown, but colours ranging
from white to black with spots of
different shades are also to be
observed.
Some of the Kenguri sheep have black
belly and are known as JODKA.
Males - horned; females - polled.

54. THE EASTERN REGION
• The region comprises States of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa,
Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur,
Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim.
• It is mostly hot and humid, except for some parts of eastern
States which are sub-temperate and humid.
• Chottanagpuri
• Shahbadi
• Balangir
• Ganjam
• Tibetan sheep
• Bonpala
• Garole

55. CHOTTANAGPURI
Jharkhand, West Bengal.
Small, light-weight animals,
Black and brown and mostly brown
in colour.
Ears – small & parallel to the head.
Tail is thin & short.
ewes – polled,rams-horned.
Fleece - coarse, hairy.
Weight(Avg Kg):19.48,19.6 ewes.
Age at first
Parturition(Avg.Months)12.56.
Lambing interval:6.57 m

56. SHAHABADI
Patna,gaya,Shahabad dist of Bihar.
Medium-sized, leggy animals.
Fleece grey, sometimes with black
spots.
Ears – long & drooping.
Tail extremely long & thin.
Both sexes polled.
Fleece is extremely coarse.
Legs & belly are devoid of wool.

57. BALANGIR
Balangir Sambalpur Sundergarh dists
of Orissa.
Medium-sized animals,
White or light brown or of mixed
colours, few black.
Ears small and stumpy.
Males - horned; females - polled.
Tail medium long & thin.
 Fleece - extremely coarse,carpet
type
Legs & belly are devoid of wool.
Avg Bwt.23.6,17.85 kgs in female

58. GANJAM
Puri,koraput,ganjam dist Orissa.
Medium-sized, coat colour
brown to dark tan; some have
white spots on the face and
body.
Ears medium-sized & drooping.
Nose line is slightly convex.
Tail is medium long & thin.
Males - horned; females -
polled.
Fleece is hairy & short.
Weight(Avg Kg):24.18.

59. TIBETAN
Arunachal Pradesh,Sikkim
Medium-sized animals.
white with black or brown face;
brown and white spots are also
observed on the body.
Rams - horned.
Nose line is convex, giving a
typical Roman nose.
Ears small, broad & drooping.
Fleece is relatively fine & dense.
Belly, legs & face - devoid of
wool.
Litter size 1-3.

60. BONAPALA
Breeding tract:Sikkim.
Fleece colour ranges from
completely white to completely
black and have generally mixed
colour of black and white.
Horns Present in males and in
some females.
 Nose is typically roman type,
which is more prominent in
males.
Fleece is coarse, hairy and open.
Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

61. Garole/Meda
West Bengal.
Garole sheep have the ability to graze in
knee-deep conditions in marshy land.
Mostly grey in colour. White, Black, and
Brown coloured animals or mixture of
these colours are also seen.
Small sized animals. Small ears (8 cm).
About 10% of animals have rudimentary
ears (<3 cm).
Weight(Avg Kg):16.4 ram,14.79 ewe.
Litter size 1-4.
It is a small-sized breed known for its
prolificacy and adaptation to the saline
marshy land of the Sundarban region.

62. Synthetic Breeds Evolved in
India
Rambouillet X Chokla & Nali Rambouillet X Malpura
Evolved at Central Sheep and Wool
Research Institute, Aviaka Nagar,
Rajasthan for carpet wool by crossing
Rambouillet with Malpura. The exotic
inheritance is stabilised around 50 per
cent.
Evolved at Central Sheep and Wool
Research Institute, Aviaka Nagar,
Rajasthan for fine wool by crossing
Rambouillet with Chokla. The exotic
inheritance is stabilised around 50-
75 per cent.

63. Avimaans
•Evolved at Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Aviaka Nagar, Rajasthan for
mutton by crossing Dorset / Suffolk rams with Malpura / Sonadi ewes. The exotic
inheritance is stabilised around 50-75 per cent.
Bharat Merino
•Evolved at Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Aviaka Nagar, Rajasthan for
fine wool by crossing Soviet Merino rams with Chokla / Nali ewes. The exotic
inheritance is stabilised around 50-75 per cent.
Hissardale
•Evolved at Hissar for fine wool by crossing Australian Merino rams with Bikaneri
ewes. The exotic inheritance is stabilised around 50-75 per cent.
Kashmir Merino
•Evolved from crosses of different Merino types with native ewes. The exotic
inheritance ranges from 50-75 per cent.
Nilagiri Synthetic (Sandyno)
•Evolved at Sheep Breeding Research Station, Sandynallah, The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu
for fine wool by crossing Russian Merino rams and Rambouillet rams with Nilagiri
ewes. The exotic inheritance is stabilised around 50 per cent.
Nellore Synthetic
•Evolved at Livestock Farm, Palamaner, Andhra Pradesh for mutton by crossing
Dorset rams with Nellore ewes. The exotic inheritance is stabilised around 50 per
cent.

64. Chokla and Nali sheep with Rambouillet
and Merino rams
Kendrapara

65. Kendrapara sheep
•Kendrapara sheep is found only in coastal Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara
districts of Odisha.
•Locally it is called kuji mendha. The average adult sheep weigh 18-20kg and
are dwarf in built with the body covered with coarse hair. They are well
adapted to high ambient temperature, high humidity and heavy rain .
•Kendrapara sheep carries FecB mutation gene, which is responsible for
prolificacy (multiple babies in same delivery) or multiple birth syndrome
•Kendrapara sheep is second sheep breed in India (other one is Garole sheep
found in West Bengal) and the sixth in the world that carries FecB mutation
gene.
•Economic Significance: Multiple-birth characteristics make it a profitable
livelihood source. They are primarily used for mutton production. Besides,
their skin also has economic importance

66. References:
http://www.nbagr.res.in/
http://14.139.252.116/agris/briddescription.aspx
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/X6532E/X6532E06.htm
Text book of Sheep Production..ICAR.
S.K.KAUSHISH.