Karnan Ram, Ahmad Yadhav and OO Oyinlola
Kashmir Merino sheep are used by the rural farmers as a source of food and cash and are believed to have adapted to harsh conditions of Kashmir region. There is scanty information available about the characteristics of this breed. The aim of this study was to characterise this breed on the basis of morphometric traits for the purposes of its conservation. A study was conducted in four community development blocks of district Srinagar and sheep breeding farm dachigam in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under farm and field conditions utilizing 897 sheep. Present study revealed that Kashmir Merino sheep is off-white in colour predominantly with narrow long and convex head profile (45.2%); ears are predominantly broad and droopy (42.2%) and horns oriented in backward forward and outward direction (80.9%) although majority (78.5%) of the animals were polled. In conclusion, the phenotypic diverseness in Kashmir Merino sheep provides an opportunity to exploit this sheep by selecting animals related to phenotypic features.
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