Gaddi is a
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of domesticated sheep found in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. They are one of eight different breeds of sheep found in the northern temperate area of India.
[
] The Gaddi is raised primarily for its
wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
.
[
]
Characteristics
The Gaddi ram is horned while the ewes are found horned only 10 - 15% of the time. The tail is small and thin.
The breed is considered medium-sized. The Gaddi ewe averages 56 cm at the withers and weighs on average 26.5 kg. Lambs at birth weigh 2.5 kg and there is no difference in average birth weight between rams or ewes. This breed is small in size. It is strong and a good climber. Ears are also short. Fleece is fine and can grow up to 5m length. Fleece is clipped three times a year (Feb, June and October). Fleece yield is 1–1.5kg/year. Wool is used for making shawls and blankets.
Generally, the breed is uncolored and white. Occasionally, the Gaddi can be found mixed tan, brown and black.
References
Sheep breeds
Sheep breeds originating in India
Economy of Himachal Pradesh
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