Sheep in South India are hardy grazing animals kept mainly for meat, and many local breeds have short hair rather than wool. On Kattutharai, sheep are listed in the goat (aadu) section. This page lists the sheep breeds South Indian farmers buy and sell, grouped by the state each breed comes from; every one is registered by ICAR-NBAGR, India's official breed register (NBAGR database). For shelter, feed and health, the goat farming guide is a good start; ask your veterinary hospital what to change for sheep.
Tamil Nadu sheep
Tamil Nadu has more registered sheep breeds than any other southern state; three of them have their own page:
Sheep
Mecheri sheep
a light-brown, hornless meat sheep of Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur and Dharmapuri, also valued for its skin.
Ram 32 kg · Ewe 28 kg
Sheep
Madras Red sheep
a brown meat sheep of the districts around Chennai, also called Chennai Sigappu.
Ram 26–35 kg · Ewe 23 kg
Sheep
Ramnad White sheep
a white meat sheep of Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Pudukkottai; the rams have thick, spiral horns.
Ram 31–43 kg · Ewe 23.5–32 kg
Tamil Nadu has ten registered sheep breeds in all; the others are Kilakarsal, Vembur, Tiruchi Black, Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Chevaadu and Katchaikatty Black (ICAR-NBAGR).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka sheep
Three sheep breeds from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka have their own page:
Sheep
Nellore sheep
a tall meat sheep with long, drooping ears, from Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Ram 36–37 kg · Ewe 28–30 kg
Sheep
Deccani sheep
a mostly black meat sheep of the Deccan plateau, kept in Maharashtra and the neighbouring parts of Telangana (then part of Andhra Pradesh) and Karnataka; Telangana's veterinary university works on the breed at its Mahabubnagar research station (PVNRTVU).
Ram 38 kg · Ewe 31 kg
Sheep
Bandur (Mandya) sheep
registered as Mandya: a small, white, hornless meat sheep of Mandya district and the bordering parts of Mysuru and Bengaluru Rural.
Ram 37 kg · Ewe 27 kg
Other registered sheep breeds of the region include Bellary, Hassan and Kenguri in Karnataka and Macherla in Andhra Pradesh (ICAR-NBAGR).
Frequently asked questions
Are sheep and goats both "aadu"?
In everyday Tamil, yes: aadu covers both, with vellaadu for the goat and semmari aadu for the sheep. They are different animals with their own breeds, so check which one a seller means. On Kattutharai, both are listed in the goat (aadu) section.
How can I tell a pure-bred animal?
Learn the breed's signs from its page and check them on the animal: colour, horns, ears and size. See the mother and the herd, ask where the parents came from, and prefer animals from the breed's home districts. The breed name in an ad is the seller's word, and Kattutharai does not check it. See pure breeds and crosses.
Next
Open the page of a breed from your own state, or compare the main breeds in How to choose a goat breed: South Indian breeds compared. To see which breeds farmers near you are selling, browse goats and sheep for sale.
Find goats near you on Kattutharai
See goats for sale direct from farmers near your village, with photos, the village name and the distance. No middlemen. Call or chat with the farmer, then see the goat and check its health yourself before you pay.
Looking for a particular breed? Search its name in the Kattutharai app, for example Kanni, Kodi or Tellicherry.
