Top 10 Sheep Breeds in India 2026

Table of Contents

• Overview of Sheep Breeds in India
• Which are the Top 10 Sheep Breeds in India in 2026?
  • Nellore Sheep
  • Deccani Sheep
  • Marwari Sheep
  • Bellary Sheep
  • Jaisalmeri Sheep
  • Mecheri Sheep
  • Chokla Sheep
  • Garole Sheep
  • Mandya Sheep
  • Kendrapada Sheep
• Conclusion

Overview of Sheep Breeds in India

Sheep are the second most important ruminant livestock species in India after goats. India has 44 registered and documented sheep breeds. According to the 20^th Livestock Census, the total number of Indian sheep in the country is approximately 74.26 million, which is 14.1% higher than the previous Census and accounts for 13.83% of the total livestock population in India. The top five states in terms of sheep population in India are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. 

According to the UN's FAOSTAT 2019, India ranks second in terms of sheep population, representing approximately 4.03% of the global sheep population. In India, sheep are spread over varied ecological conditions, resulting in a wide range of phenotypes and production-oriented sheep breeds. The results of the 21st Livestock Census (2024–25) are awaited.

Which are the Top 10 Sheep Breeds in India in 2026?

Nellore Sheep, Deccani Sheep, Marwari Sheep, Bellary Sheep, Jaisalmeri Sheep, Mecheri Sheep, Chokla Sheep, Garole Sheep, Mandya Sheep, and Kendrapada Sheep are among the top sheep breeds in India. Let's discuss these top sheep breeds in detail:

Nellore Sheep

The Nellore Sheep breed is primarily found in the Nellore district and its adjoining areas, including those of the Prakasam and Ongole districts in Andhra Pradesh. Three distinguished varieties of Nellore Sheep are found based on coat colour: Palla, Jodipi, and Dora.

These breeds are primarily reared for meat and are the tallest sheep breed in India. Some of the key characteristics of sheep are:

• The colour of Nellore sheep is completely white, white with brown/black spots on the head, or completely brown.
• They have very little hair except on the wither, brisket, and breech.
• They have long and drooping ears, and most of the breed carries wattles.
• The male and female Nellore sheep have an average body weight of 36 kg and 28 kg, respectively.

Deccani Sheep

The Deccani Sheep breed is mainly found in the Deccan Plateau, encompassing the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. Four different strains of Deccani Sheep are Sangamneri, Lonand, Kolhapuri, and Solapuri (Sangola).

These sheep breeds are a combination of hairy types from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and woolly types from Rajasthan. Besides, they possess natural resistance to many common diseases. Some of the key features are:

• They are small, hardy, and well-settled in poor pastoral conditions.
• They have coloured fleece, with grey and black being the dominant shades.
• They produce low-grade wool and are chiefly used to manufacture rough blankets (Kambals).
• The flocks of this sheep breed are maintained primarily for mutton.

Marwari Sheep

Marwari is an important sheep breed of Marwar region covering Jodhpur, Nagaur, Jalore, Sirohi, Pali and Barmer districts of Rajasthan. This breed is also found in the Jeoria region of Gujarat. These breeds are migratory and are known for their resistance to heat and temperature. Some of the key features are:

• Rebari communities, who are migratory pastoralists, rear these sheep.
• They are well built, strong, and medium in size.
• The face of Marwari breed is usually black, extending up to the neck.
• The ears of these sheep are tubular, and the tail is short to medium & thin.
• The weight of adult male sheep ranges from 24 – 47 kg, and that of females ranges from 18 – 43 kg.
• They are reared for their meat and wool (for making carpets).
• They possess high resistance to disease and worms.
• The yield of wool per year is 0.90-1.81 kg per animal.

Bellary Sheep

Bellary is the most important sheep breed in Karnataka in terms of population because of its adaptability to the black soils and agroclimatic conditions of the northern part of the state. They are primarily found in Bellary and Davangere districts and adjoining areas of Chitradurga & Haveri districts of Karnataka.

These sheep breeds are not much different from Deccani sheep. The breed found to the north of the Tungabhadra River is called Deccani, and those to the south of it are called Bellary. Some of the key features are:

• They have strong builds and are medium to large in size.
• The colour of the coat ranges from black-white combinations to complete black.
• Most of the rams (male sheep) are horned, whereas ewes (female sheep) are polled.
• The horns are thick at the base and pointed as they emerge upward, curling backwards.
• Ears of this breed are tubular in shape and medium in size.
• The tail is short and thin.

Jaisalmeri Sheep

These sheep breeds are endemic to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and are also found in the neighbouring districts of Barmer and Jodhpur. The Raika Hindus raise them under a migratory and semi-nomadic system.

They can survive extreme heat (up to 50°C) and require minimal water intake. They produce good carpet-type wool, and some of the physical characteristics are:

• The fleece colour is white, and their faces are black.
• They have long and drooping ears.
• The horns of the male and female are polled.
• They have a square build and are deep and tall in appearance.
• They are among the heaviest sheep breeds in India, with adult rams generally weighing around 43–45 kg on average.

Mecheri Sheep

Mecheri sheep are native to the Salem and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu. They are also found in Namakkal, Karur, Erode, and certain parts of the Dharmapuri district. Mecheri sheep are known for their skin quality, which is the best among all sheep breeds in India.

The vital physical features are:

• The Mecheri sheep breed has no horns for both males and females.
• The average body weight of an adult male is 36 kg.
• The average body weight of adult females is 22 kg.
• They have medium-sized bodies and pale purplish skin.
• The tail of this sheep breed is more petite and slender.

Chokla Sheep

The Chokla Sheep breed hails mainly from the Churu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan. It is also distributed over the adjoining areas of Nagaur, Bikaner, and Jaipur. These sheep breeds are reared for their wool, which is used to make fine carpets, and for their migratory nature.

The Chokla breed produces the finest carpet wool among all Indian Sheep breeds. Its wool quality grade, which indicates the fineness of wool based on the average diameter of fibres, ranges from 54s to 60s count. Some of its key features are:

• They are light and medium-sized.
• The face does not have wool, and the colour is dark brown or reddish brown.
• They have tubular ears, with ear length ranging from small to medium.
• They have thin tails, and the length is medium.
• They have relatively fine and dense coats covering the entire body, including the belly.

Garole Sheep

The Garole sheep breed is native to the Sunderban region of West Bengal. These sheep are known for their prolificacy and have a high reproduction rate. They are regarded as one of the most prolific microsheep breeds in India.

Garole sheep are suitable for hot and humid climates. They are primarily reared for meat, and their wool is used for manufacturing rough carpets. Some of the unique features are:

• They can breed year-round and are disease resistant.
• They can graze in knee-deep marshy saline areas.
• They are small in size and have low body weight.
• They have square bodies with small heads, medium ears, and short, thin tails.
• The average body weight of male and female sheep is 15 kg and 13.7 kg, respectively.
• Multiple births are common in this breed.
• The fleece is open, coarse, and very dense.

Mandya Sheep

Mandya sheep are native to the Mandya district and the border areas of the Mysore district of Karnataka. They are raised for meat and wool production. This breed is widely regarded as producing one of the best-quality muttons among Indian sheep breeds. The key physical features are: 

• They are white, and the face colour is light brown. 
• The horns of male and female Mandya sheep are polled. 
• They have a compact body with a typical reversed "U" shape from the back. 
• They have long, leafy, and drooping ears. 
• Their tail is short and thin, and most sheep carry wattles.

Kendrapada Sheep

The Kendrapada Sheep breed is native to the Kendrapada district of Odisha and is distributed in the Konark, Bhadrak, and Puri districts of coastal Odisha. They are known for their prolificacy, second only to the Garole Sheep. They are the second sheep breed in India to carry the FecB mutation. They are primarily reared for meat. The key physical features are: 

• The average body weight of the adult Kendrapada sheep breed is about 23 kg. 
• The colour of the coat ranges from dark brown to white. 
• There are button-type horns in some male sheep. 
• They have horizontal ears and a short, straight, and drooping tail.

Conclusion

Sheep are an important animal for the Livestock Sector in India. They provide livelihood to small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. India is home to 44 sheep breeds, which are distributed across various ecological conditions. Indigenous sheep make a significant contribution to the agrarian economy, particularly in areas where crop and dairy farming are not economically viable. They provide a dependable source of income to the animal owners. If you want to explore more about the livestock sector, you can also read about the best goat breeds in India.