Gaddi
Also known as: Bhadarwah, Kashmir Valley
The migratory sheep of the Gaddi shepherds, producing the finest wool among India's native sheep and moving with the seasons up to alpine pasture.
Gaddi
Physical Characteristics
- Colour: white; also brown, black or tan
- Fine, dense fleece — the best native apparel-grade wool in India
- Medium body — 27 kg (female), 32 kg (male)
- Males horned, females mostly polled
Benefits for Farmers
Finest wool among Indian native sheep — used for apparel, not just carpets
Hardy at high altitude with seasonal migration to 3,500 m
Wool is the raw material for Himachali shawls, pattu and tweed
Grazes free on alpine pasture for much of the year
Improve your herd with Gaddi genetics
Artificial insemination with proven Gaddi semen is the fastest and cheapest way to upgrade a local herd — no bull to maintain, no disease risk, and a measurable jump in yield within one generation. Our AI training covers semen handling, heat detection, insemination technique and follow-up.
Breed Profile
- Species
- Sheep
- Utility
- Wool & Mutton
- Home Tract
- Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and the adjoining hills of J&K and Uttarakhand
- Found In
- Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir Uttarakhand
- Yield
- Wool: 1.0–1.5 kg per year; fibre 25 microns or finer
Other Sheep Breeds
Magra
Wool & Mutton
Magra
Rajasthan
A striking desert breed with the most lustrous white wool in India — its fleece is used for high-value carpets and rugs.
Wool: 1.0–1.5 kg per year
View Details
Garole
Mutton
Garole
West Bengal
A micro-sheep of the Sundarbans with worldwide scientific importance: it carries the FecB (Booroola) fertility gene, which has been used to raise lambing rates in sheep across the globe.
Regularly gives 2–3 lambs per lambing, twice a year
View Details
Nali
Wool
Nali
Rajasthan, Haryana
Producer of the finest carpet wool in India, with a dense fleece that makes it the leading wool breed of the north-western plains.
Wool: 1.5–2.5 kg per year in 2–3 clips
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