Nellore

The Nellore is a meat sheep breed native to northern Andhra Pradesh, primarily the Nellore and Prakasham districts.

The breed is found in three distinct colours- white (palla), white with black spots on the face (jodipi) and red-brown (dora). The males are horned and the females are polled. The birth weight of lambs is 2.5 - 3 kg. These are relatively tall animals with little hair except at the brisket¹, withers and breech². The ears are long and drooping, the tail is short and thin and a majority of the animals have wattles³. Age at first lambing is 28 months and the lambing percentage in farmers’ flocks through natural service is 73%. The lambing interval is about 14 months, and the litter size is primarily single.  Breeding is pure and males are selected on the basis of body size. Dressing percentage on pre-slaughter live-weight basis is 47% and age at slaughter is generally six months.  

According to the 18th Livestock 2007, the number of Nellore sheep in India is 6,216,695. (Refer to the maps below)

References:

1. The part of an animal’s body that extends from the forelegs back beneath the ribs.

2. The lower rear portion of the body.

3. Hair covered appendages of flesh hanging from the throat area of sheep/ goats (reference Jennifer Stultz in the Dairy Goat Journal).

Text Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/x6532e/X6532E04.htm#ch3.2.3

Photo Source: CSWRI, Avikanagar