Sheep breeds

a) Apparel wool breeds : Hissasrdale, Nilgiri, Kashmir Merino, Avivastra, Bharat Merino. These are crossbreds of native sheep with exotic fine wool/dual-purpose/mutton breeds.

b) Superior carpet wool breeds : Chokla, Nali, Magra, Jaisalmeri, Pugal, Patanwadi, Tibetan, Bonpala, Gaddi, Rampur Bushair, Poonchi, Karnah, Gurez, Changthangi, Avikalin.

c) Coarse carpet wool breeds : Malpura, Sonadi, Muzaffaranagari, Jalauni, Deccani, Bellary, Coimbatore, Chhotanagpuri, Balangiri, Ganjam, Bhakarwal, Shahabadi

d) Hairy meat breeds : Nellore, Hassan, Mecheri, Kilakarsal, Vembur, Ramnad White, Madras Red, Tiruchi Black, Kenguri. These sheep are maintained primarily for meat almost in the whole of Southern Peninsular region. The wool produced is very coarse, hairy and coloured; below 36s quality; and suitable only for extremely rough carpets, barrack blankets and kamblies.

a) North-Western, Central Arid & Semi-Arid region

The region comprises the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and the plains of UP and MP. This region is important in the country for carpet wool production.

(1) Chokla (Chapper, Shekhawati)

Churu, Jhunhunu, Sikar & border areas of Bikaner, Jaipur & Nagaur dists of Rajasthan.

Light to medium-sized; Face is generally devoid of wool and is reddish-brown/dark brown in colour; Skin is pink; Ears are small to medium in length and tubular; Coat is dense; Both sexes are polled

Although Chokla is perhaps the finest carpet-wool breed, its wool is being diverted to the worsted sector due to scarcity in fine apparel wool in the country.

(2) Nali

Ganganagar, Churu & Jhunjhunu dists of Rajasthan and southern parts of Hissar & Rohtak dists of Haryana.

Medium-sized; Face is light brown in colour; Skin is pink; Ears are large and leafy; Both sexes are polled; Tail is short to medium in length and thin;

Fleece is white, coarse, dense and long-stapled; Forehead, legs and belly are covered with wool; March clip is yellow but September clip is golden brown

(3) Marwari

Marwar region including Jodhpur, Jalore, Nagaur, Pali, & Barmer districts extending upto Ajmer and Udaipur districts of Rajasthan and Heoria region of Gujarat.

Medium-sized; Black face with colour extending upto the lower part of the neck; Ears are extremely small and tubular; Both sexes are polled; Tail is short, medium & thin.

Fleece is white and not very dense.

(4) Magra ( Bikaneri, Bikaneri Chokla, Chakri)

Although the breed is largely found in Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Churu districts of Rajasthan, animals true to breed type are found only in the eastern and southern parts of Bikaner district.

Medium-to large in size; White face with brown patches around the eyes are characteristic; Skin colour is pink; Ears are small to medium and tubular; Both sexes are polled; Tail is medium in length and thin.

Fleece is of medium carpet quality, extremely white and lustrous and not very dense; Bikaneri Chokla strains have extremely white and lustrous fleeces and are suitable for good quality carpets.

(5) Jaisalmeri

Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan.

Tall, well-built, largest breed in Rajasthan; Black or dark brown face with the colour extending upto the neck; Typical Roman nose, long drooping ears generally with a cartilaginous appendage; Both sexes are polled; Tail is medium to long.

Fleece colour is white, of medium carpet quality and not very dense.

(6) Pugal

Home tract is Pugal area of Bikaner district; also distributed over Bikaner & Jaisalmer districts.

Fairly well-built; Black face with small light brown strips on either side above the eyes; lower jaws are typically light brown in colour; black colour may extend to neck; Ears are short and tubular; Bothe sexes are polled; Tail is short to medium and thin.

Fleece is of medium carpet quality but not very dense.

(7) Malpura

Jaipur, Tonk, Sawaimadhopur and adjacent areas of Ajmer, Bhilwara and Bundi districts of Rajasthan.

Fairly well-built with long legs; Light brown face; Ears are short and tubular, with a small cartilaginous appendage on the upper side; Both sexes are polled; Tail is medium to long and thin.

Fleece is white, extremely coarse and hairy. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(8) Sonadi

Mainly found in Udaipur and Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan, it also extends to northern Gujarat.

Fairly well-built but somewhat smaller to Malpura; Long legs; Light brown face with colour extending to the middle of the neck; ears are large, flat and drooping and generally have a cartilaginous appendage; Tail is long and thin; Both sexes are polled; Udder is fairly well-developed.

Fleece is white, extremely coarse and hairy. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(9) Patanwadi ( Desi, Kutchi, Kathiawari, Vadhiyari, Charotari)

The breed includes three distinct strains

- non-migratory, red-faced animals with small bodies, yielding relatively finer fleeces; these are typical Patanwadis and are located in north-eastern Saurashtra.

- migratory type with larger body and long legs, typical Roman nose and long tubular ears; produces coarser fleece; found in western and northern Gujarat.

- meat type, with big body, low stature and coarser fleeces, found in Saurashtra, Kutch and Mehsana districts of Gujarat.

(10) Muzaffarnagri (Bulandshahri)

Muzaffaranagar, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, meerut, Bijnor & Dehradun districts of UP and parts of Delhi & Haryana.

Medium to large in size; The breed is one of the largest and very well adapted to irrigated areas. Face lines are slightly convex; Face and body are white with occasional patches of brown or black; ears and face are occasionally black; Both sexes are polled; males sometimes contain rudimentary horns; Ears are long and drooping; Tail is extremely long and reaches fetlock.

Fleece is white, coarse and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(11) Jalauni

Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of UP.

Medium-sized; Straight nose line; Both sexes are polled; Ears are large, flat and drooping; Tail is thin and medium in length; Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

Fleece is coarse, short-stapled and open, generally white.

(12) Hissardale

The breed was synthesized in the earlier part of the century at The Government Livestock Farm, Hissar (Haryana) through crossing Australian Merino rams with Bikaneri (Magra) ewes by stabilizing the exotic inheritance to about 75%.

Small, with short legs, giving them a low-set appearance; Leaf-like medium-sized ears. Most animals are polled; colour is predominantly white, although some brown or black patches can also be observed.

(13) Avivastra

This fine-wool breed was evolved at the CSWRI, Avikanagar through interbreeding and selection of Rambouillet x Chokla (halfbred and 5/8^th) base. Wool obtained is 2.3 kg, 21-22 µ dia and 4.5 cm staple length.

(14) Bharat Merino

This fine-wool breed was evolved by crosses of indigenous breeds with Rambouillet and Merino. Wool obtained is 4.2 kg, 21µ dia and 7.3 cm staple length.

(15) Avikalin

This superior carpet wool breed was evolved at the CSWRI, Avikanagar through interbreeding and selection of Rambouillet x Malpura halfbreds.

b) Southern region

This region (semi-arid in central peninsular and hot humid along the coast) comprises of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Majority of wool produced is below 36s (the exception being Nilgiri sheep which produce wool above 48s). About 50% of the population of sheep in this region does not produce any wool and the rest produce very coarse, hairy and coloured fleeces.

(1) Deccani

The breed is spread over the greater part of the Central Peninsular region, comprising the semi-arid areas of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It covers the major part of Maharashtra, esp. the Pune Division; parts of Kurnool, Medak, Hyderabad, Mehboobnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Anantpur & Warangal districts in AP; Bidar, Bijapur, Gulbarga & Raichur districts in Karnataka.

Medium-sized, predominantly black with white markings; White and brown/fawn animals are also seen. Rams are horned but ewes are polled; Ears are medium, long, flat and drooping; Tail is short and thin.

Fleece is extremely coarse, hairy and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(2) Bellary

Mostly found in Bellary district. This breed is not very different from the Deccani. Animals found to the north of the Tungabhadra river are called “Deccani” and those to the south of it “Bellary”.

Medium-sized; Body colour ranging from white to black with various combinations; One-third of the males are horned, females are generally polled; Ears are medium, long, flat and drooping.

Fleece is extremely coarse, hairy and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(3) Nellore

Nellore district and neighbouring areas of Prakasam and Ongole districts of AP.

Based on the coat colour, three varieties of the breed are : “Palla” – completely white or white with light brown spots on head, neck, back and legs; “Jodipi/Jodimpu” – white with black spots, particularly around the lips, eyes and lower jaw, but also on belly and legs; and “Dora” – completely brown.

Animals are relatively tall with little hair except at brisket, withers and breech; Rams are horned but ewes are almost always polled; Earls are long and drooping; Tail is short and thin; 86% of the animals carry wattles.

(4) Mandya (Bannur, Bandur)

Mandya district and bordering Mysore district of Karnataka.

Relatively small in size; White in colour, but in some cases, the face is light brown, which may extend upto the neck; Possess a compact body with a typical reversed U-shaped wedge from the rear. Ears are long, leaf-like and drooping; Tail is short and thin; A large percentage of the animals carry wattles; Slightly Roman nose; Both sexes are polled; Coat is extremely coarse and hairy.

It is the best meat breed of the country. There is a high incidence of cryptorchidism.

(5) Hassan

Hassan district of Karnataka.

Small-sized; White body with light brown or black spots; Ears are medium long and drooping; 39% of males are horned; females are usually polled.

Fleece is white, extremely coarse and open. Belly and legs are generally devoid of wool.

(6) Mecheri (Maiylambadi, Thuvaramchambali)

Salem and Coimbatore districts of TN.

Medium-sized; Light brown in colour; Ears are medium sized; Both sexes are polled; Tail is short and thin. Body is covered with very short hair which is not shorn.

(7) Kilakarsal (Keezhakkaraisal, Karuvai, Keezha karauvai, Ramnad karuvi, Adikaraisal)

Ramnathpuram, Madurai, Thanjavur & ramand districts of TN

(8) Vembur (Karnadhai)

Tirunelveli district of TN

Tall; Colour is white with irregular redand fawn patches all over the body; Ears are medium-sized and drooping; Tail is short and thin; Males are horned but ewes are polled; Body is covered with very short hair which is not shorn.

(9) Coimbatore (Kurumbai)

Coimbatore and Madurai districts of TN and bordering areas of Kerala and Karnataka.

Medium-sized; White colour with black or brown spots; Ears are medium in size and directed outward and backward; Tail is short and thin; 38% males are horned but females are polled.

(10) Nilgiri

Nilgiri hills of TN.

Evolved during the 19^th Century, the breed has originated from a crossbred base and contains an unknown level of inheritance of Coimbatore, Tasmanian Merino, Cheviot and South Down.

Medium-sized; Body colour is generally white with exceptions having brown patches on face and body; Face line is convex, giving a typical Roman nose. Ears are broad, flat and drooping; Males have horn buds and scurs but the females are polled. Tail is medium and thin.

Fleece is fine and dense. The breed produces fine fleece but there is little organized shearing and marketing of wool. The breed is mostly maintained for manure by tea planters and other flock owners.

(11) Ramand White

Ramand district and adjoining areas of Tirunelveli district of TN.

Medium-sized. Predominantly white, though some animals have fawn or black markings over the body. Ears are medium-sized and directed outward and downward. Males have twisted horns but females are polled. Tail is short and thin.

(12) Madras Red

Chingalpet and Madras districts of TN.

Medium-sized. Body colour is predominantly brown and its intensity varies 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. Males have twisted horns but females are polled. Body is covered with very short hair which is not shorn.

(13) Tiruchi Black (Tiruchi Karungurmbai)

Parts of Tiruchi, South Arcot, North Arcot and Dharmapuri districts of TN.

Small-sized. Completely black body. Males are horned but ewes are polled. Ears are short and directed downward and forward. Tail is short and thin.

Fleece is extremely coarse, hairy and open.

(14) Kenguri (Tenguri)

Hilly tracts of Raichur district (esp. Lingsugur, Sethanur & Gangavati taluks) of Karnataka.

Medium-sized. Body colour is mostly dark brown, but colours ranging from white to black with spots of different shades are also not uncommon. Males are horned but the females are generally polled.

c) Eastern region

This region, which is predominantly hot and humid, includes Bihar, WB, Orissa, Assam and othe eastern states. Sheep primarily produce wool of below 36s quality. Sheep of this region are primarily of meat type with the exception of Arunachal Pradesh which has a small number of better wool-type sheep. The wool produced by the sheep of this region is extremely coarse, coloured and of hairy quality.

(1) Chottanagpuri

Chottanagpur, Ranchi, Palamau, Hazaribagh, Singbhum, Dhanbad & Santhal Parganas of Bihar, and Bankura district of WB.

Small, light-weight animals. Light grey and brown in colour. Ears are small and parallel to the head. Tail is short and thin. Both sexes are polled.

Fleece is coarse, hairy and open and is generally not clipped.

(2) Shahabadi

Shahabad, Patna & Gaya districts of Bihar.

Medium-sized, leggy animals. Fleece colour is mostly grey, sometimes with black spots. Ears are medium sized and drooping. Tail is extremely long and thin. Both sexes are polled. Fleece is extremely coarse, hairy and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(3) Balangir

North-western districts of Orissa i.e. Balangir, Sambalpur and Sundargarh.

Medium-sized. White or light brown or of mixed colours; few animals are black. Ears are small and stumpy. Males are horned and females polled. Tail is medium long and thin. Fleece is extremely coarse, hairy and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

(4) Ganjam

Koraput, Phulbani and part of Puri district of Orissa.

Medium-sized. Coat colour ranging from brown to dark tan; some have white spots on the face and body. Ears are medium-sized and drooping. Nose line is slightly convex. Tail is medium long and thin. Males are horned but females polled. Fleece is short and hairy and is not shorn.

(5) Tibetan

Northern Sikkim and Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. Medium-sized. Mostly white with black or brown face, and brown and white spots on the body. Both sexes are horned. Roman nose. Ears are small, broad and drooping.

Fleece is relatively fine and dense. Belly, legs and face are devoid of wool. Produce excellent, lustrous, carpet-quality wool.

(6) Bonpala

Southern Sikkim.

Tall, leggy and well-built. Fleece colour ranges from complete white to complete black with a number of intermediary tones. Ears are small and tubular. Both sexes are horned. Tail is short and thin. Fleece is coarse, hairy and open. Belly and legs are devoid of wool.

d) Northern Temperate region

This region comprises J&K, HP and hilly parts of UP. About 25% of the wool produced in this region is of 36-48s quality, suitable for carpets and the rest is above 48s and is suitable for apparel and superior quality carpets. Around 1/3^rd of the sheep in J&K and about 15-20% in other parts of this region are crosses of native breeds with exotic fine wool breeds.

(1) Gaddi (Bhadarwah)

Kishtwar & Bhadarwah tehsils of Jammu; Hamirpur, Ramnagar, Udhampur and Kulu & Kangra valleys of HP; Dehradun, Nainital, Tehri Garhwal and Chamoli districts of UP.

Medium-sized. Usually white, although tan, brown and black and mixtures of these are also seen. All males and 10-15% females are horned. Tail is short and thin.

Fleece is relatively fine and dense.

(2) Rampur Bushair

Shimla, Kinnaur, Nahan, Bilaspur, Sohan, Lahul & Spiti districts of HP; dehradun, Rishikesh, Chakrota ad Nainital districts of UP.

Medium-sized. Fleece colour is predominantly white, but brown, black and tan colour are also seen in varying proportions. Ears are long and drooping. Roman nose. Males are horned but most of the females are polled.

Fleece is of medium quality and dense. Legs, belly and face are devoid of wool.

(3) Bhakarwal

The breed has derived its name from a nomadic tribe which rears these sheep. Due to its entirely migratory nature, there is no distinct home tract of this breed.

Medium-sized. Roman nose. Generally white, although coloured fleeces are occasionally observed; all animals are spotted, fawn or grey. Rams are horned and ewes polled. Ears are long and drooping. Tail is short and thin. Fleece is coarse and open.

(4) Poonchi

Poonch and part of Rajouri district of Jammu.

Animals are similar in appearance to Gaddi except being lighter in weight. Predominantly white in colour but spotted sheep varying from brown to light black are also seen. Ears are medium long. Tail is short and thin. Legs are short giving a low-set conformation.

Wool is of medium to fine quality, mostly white in colour.

(5) Karnah

Distributed in Karnah, a mountainous tehsil in N. Kashmir.

Large animals. Rams have large, curved horns and a prominent nose line.

Wool is generally white in colour.

(6) Gurez

Gurez area of N. Kashmir.

Largest sheep breed of J&K. Generally white in colour, although some animals are brown or black or have brown or black spots. A small proportion of animals have small, pointed horns. Tail is short and thin. Ears are long, thin and pointed.

Fleece is generally coarse and hairy.

(7) Kashmir Merino

This breed has originated from crosses of different Merino types (at first Delaine Merinos, and subsequently Rambouillet and Soviet Merinos) with predominantly migratory native sheep breeds, viz. Gaddi, Bhakarwal and Poonchi. The level of inheritance in the crossbred animals included in Kashmir Merino predominantly varied from 50-75% but may vary from very low to almost 100% Merino. As the animals are highly diversified because of a number of native breeds involved, no definite descriptions of the breed can be given.

(8) Changthangi

Changthang region of Ladakh in J&K.

Strongly built, large framed. Good fleece cover of an extraordinarily long staple.

Wool is of a good carpet/medium apparel quality. Animals are usually shorn twice a year, generally in May/June and Sep/Oct.

(a) Fine Wool breeds

These produce fine and crimpy wool. Their fleece is heavy, dense and of good quality. It contains a large amount of yolk. These have a strong banding instinct and the ability to graze on poor quality range. Of the exotic fine wool breeds imported in India, Rambouillet and Soviet Merinos have done well as purebreds. Their crosses with indigenous breeds have shown improvement in wool quality and also in production.

(1) Merino

The origin of various strains and breeds of fine wool sheep of the present time traces to sheep of Spain. Selection within the Merino group has resulted in large varieties of breeds and strains. In addition, Merino has been widely used in the development of many other crossbred wool breeds.

Merino is s a thin-tailed, fine wool breed that is adapted to arid environment. Because of their banding instinct, they are easy to herd. They are good grazers and are able to forage over large areas of poor and sparse rangelands. Merinos have a strong constitution and are known for hardiness and longevity. Their face and legs are white and skin is pink. Rams mostly have heavy, spiral horns, whereas ewes are polled. Head and legs are generally covered with wool. They have long been bred for wool production and do not carry the straight line and compactness of mutton breeds.

Mature rams weigh about 75 kg and ewes about 65 kg. height of ram and ewe is about 70 cm and 60 cm, respectively. Fleece production varies widely depending on the environmental conditions and time of breeding, but average is 4-5 kg for rams and 3-4 kg for ewes. The staple length is 5-10 cm. Merino tends to be a seasonal breeder and this results in low prolificacy and poor lamb crop.

India has imported Stavriopol and Grossney strains of Soviet Merino from USSR. These have more grease in the fleece, large skin folds and close face (excessive wool on face resulting in wool blindness) which are not desirable characters.

(2) Rambouillet

This breed has descended from the old Spanish Merino. It was developed as a breed in France. There are two types B & C, depending upon the skin folds. The C-type has been consistently improved for both meat and fleece, whereas the B-type has largely disappeared.

Modern Rambouillet are large, rugged and fast growing sheep. They are hardy and apparently adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. They are almost free from skin folds, with acceptable mutton conformation, and are good wool producers. The wool is of long staple, fair density, uniformity and moderate shrinkage. The rams may have large, spiral horns or are polled. Ewes are polled. They have a large head with white hair around nose and ears. Face and legs are white and skin is pink. Ewes are good mothers, quite prolific and are unequalled for range qualities.

Mature rams and ewes weigh 100-125 kg and 60-90 kg, respectively. Wool has good uniformity and fineness. India has imported the majority of Rambouillets from Texas, USA. The Rambouillet as purebreds and in crosses with Indian breeds have generally performed better than Soviet Merinos.

(3) Polwarth

This breed originated at Tarndwarncoort in Victoria. It was evolved by mating first cross Lincoln Merino ewes with Merino rams. The sheep resembles a plain-bodied extra-long stapled wool Merino. They have fairly level frame, clear eyes, soft face, pink nose and are free from skin folds. They may be horned or polled. Although the animals are bulky in appearance, they are neat and have symmetrical lines. Their fleece is of even quality of about 58s count and average length of the staple is not less than 10 cm. The value of the fleece is almost the same as that of Merino and produced is of desirable quality.

(b) Mutton breeds

Mutton production is largely based upon the appearance of the animal. Specialized mutton breeds mature fast, have high prolificacy, higher body weigh gains, high feed conversion efficiency, high carcass yield and produce good quality mutton. They are usually maintained under more intensive management as compared to wool breeds. In India, mutton breeds have been imported from time to time from UK, Australia and other countries for bringing about improvement in mutton production in indigenous breeds.

(1) Suffolk

It is a medium-wool type which is native of Suffolk and surrounding counties of England and has a long reputation as a superior quality of meat. It was developed through the use of Southdown rams on an old strain known as Norfolk.

They have straight legs and are large in size. Face is black. Ears are long and pointed and are generally carried at a very slight droop or horizontally. The head and ears are entirely free of wool and the black hair extends to a line on the back base of the ears. There is no wool below the knees and hocks. Both rams and ewes are polled although males frequently have scurs.

Fleece is moderately short, dense and fine with 50-58s count. Greasy wool yield is 2.75-3.25 kg. The breed is the foremost mutton breed. The carcass is full of lean meat evenly marbled and with no waste fat and the flavour is excellent. Purebred or graded Suffolks have the capacity of rapid growth because of abundant milk of their mothers. As a grazer, Suffolk is among the best because of its activeness and rustling qualities. Suffolk ewes are prolific. Mature rams and ewes weigh 100-135 and 70-100 kg, respectively.

Suffolk imported in India have performed relatively poorly as producers, especially in reproduction and survivability as compared to Polled Dorsets.

(2) Dorset

The breed is native of southern England, especially to the counties of Dorset and Somerset. The origin of the breed is clouded in obscurity, but it has largely developed through selection. There are horned and polled strains of Dorset, named Dorset Horn (both sexes horned) and Polled Dorset (both sexes polled)

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Medium-sized. Body is moderately low-set, compact and of medium degree of smoothness and quality. Back is generally strong and the breed is generally deep-bodied. Face, ears and legs are white in colour and practically free from wool. Ears of medium size, thin, silky and carried well forward. Nostrils, lips and skin are pink. Hooves are white.

Carcass is medium weight, fine-boned and of superior quality meat. Fleece weight is 2.75-3.25 kg and the wool is short, close, fine and of 52-58s quality. Mature rams and ewes weigh 80-100 and 50-80 kg, respectively. The breed is prolific, hardy and capable of doing well under most conditions.

(3) Southdown

This is one of the oldest breeds of sheep. The native place in the Southdown chalk hills in south-east England.The best specimens closely approach the ideal mutton type in form. The body is compactly made and there is exceptional fullness of the hind quarters together with a smoothness of outline few specimens of other breeds equal. The body is oval or rounded on top, wide, deep and covered with firm flesh. Legs are short. This is one of the smallest breeds.

Face, ears and legs are mouse coloured or light brown and the skin is bright pink. The breed is polled, although scurs are found sometimes on rams. Eyes are large, bright and prominent and ears are of medium size and covered with short wool. The ewes are not too prolific with 125-150 lambs per 100 ewes and produce only average milk. The animals mature early.

Fleece is short, close, fairly dense and of fine quality. Annual greasy fleece weight is around 2.25-3.25 kg. Mature rams and ewes weigh 80-100 and 55-70 kg.

(c) Dual-Purpose breeds

The dual-purpose breeds combine meat production with wool production qualities. Corriedale is the only important dual-purpose breed imported in India.

(1) Corriedale

This breed had its origin in New Zealand and Australia where both mutton and wool production are sought for in a single animal. By interbreeding Merinos and Lincolns and careful selection, a uniform type was established that produced a good balance of mutton and wool. These sheep were named after the Corriedale estate of Otago where the experimental crossbreeding was done. Corriedales are known for their outstanding efficiency to produce more kg of lamb and wool per kg of body weight as compared to other range breeds. In India, Corriedales have mostly been imported from Australia.

Mature rams and ewes weigh 80-100 and 55-80 kg, respectively. On an average, they produce 4.5-5.5 kg greasy wool of 56-58s quality annually. The face, ears and legs are covered with white hair, although black spots are sometimes present. Both sexes are polled although rams sometimes have horns. Ewes are fair in prolificacy and milking ability.

(d) Pelt breeds

Pelt breeds are reared for the lamb pelts used for the manufacture of garments. These sheep are generally poor in mutton quality and the fleece from mature animal is of coarse carpet type fetching relatively lower price. Karakul is the chief pelt type of sheep.

(1) Karakul

These sheep are bred primarily for lamb pelts used for garments. At birth and for a few days thereafter, the lamb pelts have characters that make them suitable for use as furs. Karakul is often spoken of as a “fur-bearing sheep”. This property of the lamb pelts and the hardiness of the sheep are the two most useful features. The majority of karakul lamb pelts are produced in Bokhara (USSR), Afghanistan, South-west Africa, Iran and Iraq. The best pelts come from Bokhara, where the sheep is a fat-tailed, coarse carpet wool type of breed.

Karakul is very well adapted to the extreme climatic conditions and sparse vegetation resources. The lamb pelts are produced through the slaughter of lambs within 24-48 hrs of birth or through killing of unborn lambs removed by slaughter/abortion of mothers at around 130-140 days of pregnancy. The latter type of pelts, known as “broad (fat) tailed Persian” are twice more valuable than the best type produced by the former method. The quality of the pelt is determined by the ornamental type of curls, size and tightness of curls, lustre and weight of pelt.

Mature Karakuls are angular, upstanding and of very poor mutton conformation. Mature rams and ewes weigh 90 kg and 65 kg, respectively. Rams have horns whereas ewes are polled. Face, ears and legs are black or brown. Ears are drooping.

In India, lamb pelts are in good demand in J&K for the manufacture of caps, collars, ladies and children’s coats and other garments for indigenous use as well as for export. Karakuls were first imported in India in 1975. They have done well under both pure-breeding and cross-breeding programmes with indigenous breeds (Malpura, Sonadi and Marwari), and have shown a good adaptation to hot and cold arid conditions.