Breeds of Sheep & Goat



Sheep breeds


Indian sheep breeds

Mecheri
  • Distributed in districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is a meat purpose breed.
  • Adult male average body weight 36kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 22kg.
Chennai red
  • Distributed in Chennai, districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is meat purpose breed.
  • Majority are purple in color.
  • Certain animals have colored stripes on their forehead.
  • Adult male average body weight 36kg.
  • Adult females average body weight 24 kg.
Ramanadhapuram white
  • This is distributed in Ramanadhapuram, Sivagangai, and Virudhunagar districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is meat purpose breed.
  • It has medium sized body.
  • Majority of them are white in color.
  • Certain goats hold black colored stripes all over their body.
  • Adult males have their bent horns, whereas females with absence of horns.
  • Legs are smaller and slender.
  • Adult male average body weight 31kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 23kg.
Keezhakaraisal
  • This is distributed in Ramanadhapuram, Sivagangai and Thirunelveli districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is meat purpose breed.
  • It is found in black red skin color.
  • Black colored bands are found on the skin in the regions of head, stomach and legs.
  • Tail is smaller and slender.
  • Adult male goats are found with stronger coiled horns.
  • Majority of the goats are found with wattle, under the jaw/throat.
  • Adult male average body weight 29kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 22kg.
Vembur
  • It is distributed in Vembur, melakarandhai, keezha karandhai, nagalapuram regions, Tuticorin and Virudhunagar districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is meat purpose breed.
  • These are taller breeds with white color skin with red color spots over their body and ears are drooped out.
  • Adult males are found with horns and absence of horns in case of females.
  • Adult males average body weight 35kgs.
  • Adult females average body weight 28kgs.
Neelagiri
  • These are distributed in Neelagiri district of Tamilnadu.
  • It is wool purpose breed.
  • Majority are found in white colors.
  • Certain goats are found with purple spots on their body and face.
  • Adult male average body weight 31kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 31kg.
Trichy black
  • These are distributed in Trichy, Perambalur, Dharmapuri and Salem districts of Tamilnadu.
  • It is wool purpose breed.
  • These are smaller breeds.
  • Black coloured all over the body.
  • Adult male average body weight 26kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 19kg.
Coimbatore
  • It is distributed in Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu.
  • It is wool purpose breed.
  • Medium weighed animal.
  • Found in white colors, with black or purple colored bands, seen over the regions of head and neck.
  • Adult male average body weight 25kg.
  • Adult female average body weight 20kg.
Deccani
  • Deccani breed is an admixture of the woolly types of Rajasthan and the hairy types of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
  • It is found in Bombay-Deccan region and parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh States.
  • The sheep is small and hardy, and well adapted to poor pastoral conditions.
  • It possesses a coloured fleece, black and gray colours being more dominant.
  • The average annual yield of wool being 4.54 kg per sheep.
  • The wool is of a low grade and is a mixture of hair and fine fibres, mostly consumed for the manufacture of rough blankets (Kambals).
  • The flocks are maintained chiefly for mutton.
Nellore
  • It is distributed in Nellore, Prakasam and Ongole districts of Andhra Pradesh.
  • They are tall animals with little hair except at brisket, withers and breech.
  • Rams are homed ewes are polled.
  • Males have average body weight of 36 kg and female have 28 kg.
  • Nellore is the tallest breed of sheep in India, resembling goats in appearance.
  • The majority of the flocks are of fawn or deep red fawn colour.
Mandya
  • It is distributed in Mandya district of Karnataka.
  • Relatively small animals colour white - sometimes face is light brown which may extend up to neck.
  • Adult male weighs 35 kg and female weighs 23 kg.
  • Best mutton type conformation among the Indian breeds.
Marwari
  • Sheep are hardy, yielding coarser carpet variety white wool of a mixed hairy composition.
  • The sheep are found all over Jodhpur and parts of Jaipur districts.
  • Flocks are raised in Pali and Barmer districts.
  • The animals migrate to distant places in Uttar Pradesh, remote districts of Madhya Pradesh and sometimes to the northern parts of Maharashtra.
  • The yield of wool per year is 0.90-1.81 kg per animal.
Gaddi
  • Sheep are small in size, and are found in Kishtwar and Bhadarwah tehsils of Jammu.
  • A large number inhabit the Kulu valleys in HP winter, and in summer they graze the highest elevations of them Pir Panjal Mountains, mostly in the Paddar range.
  • Rams are horned, ewes hornless; fleece is generally white with brown coloured hair on the face.
  • Wool is fine and lustrous; average annual yield is 1.13 kg per sheep, clipped thrice a year.
  • Undercoat is used for the manufacture of high quality Kulu shawls and blankets.

Exotic sheep breeds

  1. Dorset
  2. Suffolk
  3. Merino
  4. Rambouillet
  5. Cheviot
  6. Southdown

Goat breeds


Indian goat breeds

Jamunapari
  • Jamunapari breeds are found mainly in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
  • Its coat colour is  white with tan or black markings at neck and ears;
  • This is largest and most elegant of the long-legged goats of India.
  • It has pronounced Roman nose having a tuft of hair which results in parrot mouth appearance.
  • Large sized goats, tall and leggy, with convex face line large folded pendulous ears.
  • They are generally found in white colors.
  • An adult female weighs between 45kgs to 60kgs, whereas an adult male ranges between 65kgs to 80kgs.
  • Average birth weight up to 4 kg.
  • Average age at first kidding is 20-25 months.
  • They have large udder and big teats and average yield is 280 kg / 274 days.
  • They having the ability to yield 2 to 2.5kgs of milk per day.
  • The fat content of the milk ranges between 3 to 3.5%.
  • Better milk yielding breeds are not found in Tamilnadu climatic conditions.
  • They thrive best under range conditions with plenty of shrubs for browsing.
Beetal
  • Beetal breeds are found mainly in the states of Punjab.
  • These breeds are grown mainly for the purpose of milk and meat.
  • Generally smaller than the breeds of Jamunapari.
  • An adult female goat ranges between 40kgs to 50kgs, whereas an adult male ranges between 50kgs to 70kgs.
  • Age at first kidding 20-22 months.
  • Average lactation yield 150 kg.
  • They having the ability to give, 1kg to 2kgs of milk per day.
  • Maximum yield being 591.5 kg in lactation period of 177 days.
  • Coat Colour is predominantly black; red, tan or black, heavily spotted on white also occur;
  • Average birth weight 3 kg.
Barbari
  • Popular in urban areas popular in urban areas of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gurgaon, Karnal, panipat and Rohtak in Haryana state.
  • These types of breeds are found mostly in the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
  • Barbari breeds are grown mainly for milk and meat purpose.
  • The color of this breed is a mixture of white and purple.
  • An adult female goat weighs between 25kgs to 35kgs, whereas an adult male goat ranges between 35kgs to 45kgs.
  • They having the ability to give 1kg to 1.5kgs of milk per day.
  • These types of breeds have better reproductive capabilities.
  • They will give, 2 to 3 kids in parturition.
  • They are usually stall-fed and are reported to yield 0.90-1.25 kg of milk.(fat content 5%) a day  in a lactation period of 108 days..
  • They are prolific breeder and kid twice in 12-15 months.
  • This type of breeds usually kids twice, at an interval of 12 to 15 months.
Tellicherry
  • Tellicherry breeds are also called as malabari breeds.
  • These types of breeds are found mostly in the state of Kerala.
  • They grown mostly for the purpose of meat.
  • An adult female ranges in weight from 30 to 40kgs, whereas an adult male ranges between 40 to 50kgs.
  • They can yield 1kg to 2kgs of milk per day.
  • These types of breeds have better reproductive capabilities.
  • They can give, 2 to 3 kids in a parturition.
  • This breed grown in Tamilnadu, having the ability to yield one or two kids.
Sirohi 





  • Coat colour is brown, white, and admixture of colours in typical patches; hair coarse and short.
  • Average body weight of buck 50 and doe 23 kg.
  • Average birth weight 2.0 kg.
  • Kidding is once a year, twins are common.
  • Average age at first kidding 19 months.
  • Average lactation yield 71 kg.
  • Average lactation length 175 days.
Osmanabadi
  • Coat colour is predominantly black; white, brown and spotted occur.
  • Average birth weight 2.4 kg.
  • Kidding is once a year.
  • Average age at first kidding 19-20 months.
  • It has good quality meat.
  • Good yielders produce up to 3.5 kg a day.
  • Average milk yield 170-180 kg per lactation.
Malabari
  • It is native of north Kerala.
  • Coat colour varies from white to complete black; black and white, black and brown, and white with coloured patches occur;
  • Average, buck live weight 39kg  and doe 31 kg;
  • Average birth weight 1.6 kg.
  • Kidding is once a year, twins and triplets;
  • Average litter size 2.1; average age at first kidding 19- 21 months.
  • Average quality meat.
  • Average yield is 0.9-2.8 kg of milk a day.
  • Average milk yield 65 kg/lactation.
  • Average lactation length 172 days.
  • It has good quality skin.
Kanni aadu
  • These are the tallest goat breeds found in the Thirunelveli and Ramanadhapuram districts of Tamil Nadu.
  • Black or white spots in the black background are the characteristics colors of this breed.
  • They are usually grown for meat purpose.
  • The adult females of this breed ranges from 25kgs to 30kgs and the adult males’ ranges from 35kgs to 40kgs body weight.
  • They grow well in the drought regions. Hence, this breed well suits for our country.
Kodi aadu
  • These breeds are taller and found with different colors.
  • They usually gave birth to one or 2 kids.
  • They are usually grown for the purpose of guiding the goat flocks, which goes for grazing.
  • These types of breeds are mostly found in the districts of sivagangai, ramanadhapuram, and tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu.
  • This black coloured breed, well suits for Tamil Nadu.
Black Bengal
  • Coat colour is predominantly black, brown/grey and white with soft, glossy and short hairs.
  • Dwarf in body size
  • Average live weight of buck 15 kg and doe 12 kg.
  • Most prolific among Indian breeds.
  • Multiple births common, two, 3 or 4 kids born at a time.
  • Kidding twice a year. Average litter size 2.1.
  • Average age at first kidding 9-10 months.
  • Average lactation yield 53 kg. Lactation length 90 to 120 days.
  • Its skin is great demand for high class shoe-making.
Chegu
  • Coat colour is predominantly white but greyish red and mixed colours seen.
  • Average buck live weight 39 kg and doe 26 kg.
  • Average birth weight 2.0 kg.
  • Kidding is once a year and mostly single.
  • Average lactation yield 69 kg and lactation length 187 days.
  • Used for draught to carry salt and small loads.
  • Long hair below which under coat of delicate fibre (cashmere or pashm).
  • Used for draught (pack) to carry salt and small loads.
Changthangi
  • Predominantly white and rest brown, grey and black. Undercoat white/grey; yields warm delicate fibre, pashmina (cashmere, pashm).
  • Body and legs are small size, strong body and powerful legs.
  • Average live weight of buck 20 and doe 20 kg; average birth weight 2.1 kg.
  • Kidding is once a year, normally single;
  • Average age at first kidding 20 months.

Exotic goat breeds

  1. Saanen
  2. Alpine
  3. Anglo-Nubian
  4. Toggenberg
  5. Angora
  6. Boer