General Information

Species

Sheep

Breeding Tract

Nilgiri (Tamilnadu)

Comment On Breeding Tract

Kotagiri Subdivision, Coonoor And Gudalar Talukas Of Nilgiri Hills.

Main Use

Food – Meat; Fibre – Wool

Comment On Main Use

The Nilagiri Sheep Is A Woolly Breed. The Wool, However, Has No Economic Value And The Sheep Are Primarily Reared For Meat.

Origin

The Name Of Breed Is Derived From The Native Tract Of The Breed “The Nilgiris” District Of Tamil Nadu State. It Is Reported That The Nilgiri Sheep Has Been Evolved From The Local Sheep With An Unknown Level Of Inheritance From South Down, Cheviot And Tasmanian Merino.

Herd Book Or Rigister Established

No

Breed Societies(If Any)

No

Adaptability To Environment

Well Adapted To The Agro Climatic And Physiographic Conditions Of Nilgiri Hills.

Morphology

Colour

The Coat Colour Is Generally White. About 33.26 Per Cent Of The Population Showed Brown To Tan Patches, Black Spots, Dots Or Hairs In The Regions Of The Body Like Face, Tip Of Ears, Lower Lip And In Lambs Below The Hock Joints And Knee Joints.

Horns Present

None

Number Of Horns

0

Horns Shape And Size

A Small Horny Scur Is Present In Males.

Visible Characteristics

Medium Sized Animals. Face Line Is Convex, Giving A Typical Roman Nose. Ears Are Generally Pendulous.

Hair Or Wool

Wool

Fiber Type

Coarse/Carpet