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The Chokla Sheep in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

B. P Kushwaha ,
S. Kumar ,
R. Kumar  and
B.S Mehta
B. P Kushwaha
Affiliation:
Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan-304 501, India
S. Kumar
Affiliation:
Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan-304 501, India
R. Kumar
Affiliation:
Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan-304 501, India
B.S Mehta
Affiliation:
Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan-304 501, India
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Summary

There are approximately 41 million sheep in India, 0.51 million of which are made up by the Chokla population. This breed is generally found around Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and bordering areas of the Bikaner, Jaipur and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan. The animals have a light to medium-sized body, a small head and are reddish brown or dark tan in colour as far as the middle of the neck, with a white body. The skin is pink. The ears are small to medium in length and tubular in shape. The Chokla sheep are hardy and well adapted to arid and semi-arid tropical environments and are suited for the region where migration is a common practice. The Chokla is a comparatively fine-wool producing type among the Indian sheep. The wool produced by Chokla animals is heterogeneous in quality and generally mixed with coarser fleece of other sheep for their utilisation as carpet wool.

Resumen

Existen aproximadamente 41 millones de ovinos en India, 0,51 millones de los cuales pertenecen a la raza Chokla. Esta raza se encuentra generalmente alrededor de Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar y en la zonas fronterizas de los distritos del Rajasthan de Bikaner, Jaipur y Nagaur. Los animales poseen un tamaño corporal bajo-medio, una cabeza pequeña y son de color marrón-rojizo o oscuro hasta mitad del cuello y con el cuerpo blanco. La piel es rosa. Las orejas son de longitud pequeña o media y en forma de tubo. La raza Chokla es robusta, está bien adaptada a los medios áridos y semiáridos tropicales y resulta adecuada para las regiones donde se practica normalmente la migración. La raza Chokla se halla entre las razas indias ovinas buenas productoras de lana fina. La lana producida por los animales Chokla es heterogénea en cuanto a calidad y viene normalmente mezclada con lana gruesa de otras ovejas para la confección de alfombras de lana.

Keywords

ChoklaSheepCarpet woolProduction performance
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 22 , April 1997 , pp. 19 - 27
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1997

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