Accession number: INDIA_SHEEP_1800_CHEVAADU_14041

Category: Meat

Country: India

Home tract: Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu

Morphological characteristics

Body: Small to medium in size

Body coat: Two colour variant viz. light brown and dark brown or tan. The intensity of coat colour varied from light brown to tan. In general, dorsal part of the body is light brown in colour and in the ventral part (from the jaw to inguinal region).

The brown colour is lighter than in the dorsal part. These animals are called as “Arichevaadu”. Rams of such breed description are selected for breeding in most of the flocks. The dark brown/tan coat colour sheep is named as “Karunchevaadu” and appeared similar to Madras Red breed of sheep.

Morphometric traits

Body weight: Adult 18-39 kg

Reproductive traits

Age at first breeding: 9 months for male; 12 months for females

Age at first lambing: 18 months

Lambing interval: 258 days

Gestation period: 148 days

Litter size: Single with rare case of twinning

References

NBAGR, “REGISTERED BREEDS OF SHEEP,” ICAR- National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, (NBAGR), Karnal [Web Reference]

Mohapatra T., 2017, Nine New Germplasm of Indigenous Farm Animals Registered as Breeds by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare [Web Reference]

Ravimurugan T., 2017, “Chevaadu–A New Registered Sheep Breed of Tamil Nadu, India,” International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences; 6(9): 1553-1557. [Web Reference]