Table of Contents
Coimbatore Sheep Profile:
In the following article, the Coimbatore sheep profile is explained.
The Coimbatore Sheep Purpose and Distribution:
This breed is a coarse carpet wool breed of Tamil Nadu, India, and is reared mainly as a meat animal. A study conducted in the native environment revealed that breeding and migratory tracts were in Coimbatore, Erode and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu state and Palakkad and Thrissur districts in Kerala state.
The Coimbatore Sheep Breed Features:
The estimated population of this breed as of 2006 was 243 000. The average Coimbatore sheep flock size was 503±13, of which rams, ewes and lambs (0-12 months) constituted 2.9, 70.3 and 26.8%, respectively. This sheep breed are medium-sized with a compact body. They are white in colour with varying extents of black or tan coat and fleece in the head and neck, which may also extend up to shoulder or back. The head is small and slightly convex. Males are polled (65%) or horned and females are polled. The fleece is coarse and open.
The Sheep Breed Performance:
The overall means for height at withers, body length and chest girth of adult breed at full mouth age were 64.3±0.3, 65.3±0.4 and 74.1±0.4 cm respectively. The mean body weight at birth, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were 2.4±0.1, 12.4±0.4, 15.9±0.3, 18.6±0.2 and 21.5±0.3 kg, respectively. Age at first mating and lambing were 11.1±0.1 and 16.6±0.1 months, respectively. The mean lambing interval was 7.7±0.1 months and the incidence of twinning was 1.1%.