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APPENDIX LXII.
Note on Sheep and Goats in Bombay by Mr. J. W. Mottison, Deputy Director of Agriculture.
I DO not think any of the indigenous breeds of sheep of the Bombay Presidency are
likely to prove of much value in improving the local breeds of Bengal.
The Deccani sheep are probably most extensively bred. They are owned extensively by
professional shepherds who with their flocks wander all over the plains in the fair season, but
retire to the higher and drier grazing grounds in the monsoon. This breed in flocks of any
size does not remain healthy in the plains during the monsoon. These sheep require dry
grazing ground in the monsoon or comfortable shelter at night during heavy rain. The
necessary shelter can only be arranged for with small flocks. Sheep owned by villagers are
sheltered in the houses or out-houses, but each owner has only a very few sheep.
The Deccani sheep are of all colours, many black, some brown, some with broken colours
and few white. The wool is coarse and hairy, the fleece light. Picked specimens are of
fair size with nicely balanced well shaped frames on short legs with fine bone. The ewes
milk well, and not only feed their lambs but are regularly milked by the professional
shepherds, the milk being used for butter and ghee making. Veterinary Captain Morgan
had a select flock of white Daccani ewes which he crossed very successfully with the Dumbha
ram. In the cross-breed the abnormal tail of the Dumbha quite disappeared. The half-bred
sheep were very shapely and with careful feeding matured and fattened rapidly. The wool
was of fair quality and the fleece fairly heavy. Veterinary Captain Morgan fed his young
sheep up to heavy weights and was offered twenty-five rupees each, for all young sheep up to
a certain weight by the chief butcher, of the Crawford market, Bombay. The conditions under
which Veterinary Captain Morgan's flock was managed were very favourable. The she9p
were grazed on the Cantonment grazing. The land being light and naturally well drained,
the rainfall at Ahmednagar is light. The fleck was sheltered in a shed during rain and
had a big, naturally dry paddock to lie in over night in fair weather. The same cross in the
Poona District on heavier soil with a heavier rainfall has not been so successful as at Ahmed-
nagar. The sheep are quite healthy in the fair season, but are not satisfactory during the
rains. The Dumbha Deccani cross was decided failure on the Khandesh Farm. There,
however, the land is deep black and therefore unsuitable for sheep breeding.
Veterinary Captain Morgan tried other crosses but all were unsuccessful. Australian
Southdowns and other Australian breeds were found quite unsuited to the Deccan. Raj-
putana sheep (which as 1 saw them at Ahmednagar were leggy and flatsided, but with a nice
quality of white wool) did not thrive at all in the Deccan and the cross-breed lambs from
them were also unsatisfactory.
The only other breed of sheep of any importance that we have in the Presidency is that
of Gujarat
These sheep are big and upstanding with loose wool of fair length and quality.
The wool is mostly white. Almost all the sheep of this breed have black or red, brown heads
the colour of the head extending a short distance along the neck. Those sheep with brown
heads have wool with a tawny or khoki tinge usually. The head is large and coarse, so also
are the leg bones and feet. The breed lacks the shapeliness of the Deccanis, At the same
time I have seen particularly five specimens, beautifully proportioned in every way. The
sheep I particularly refer to are or were owned by rich Muhamniadans' families at Rander
near Surat and were kept as household pets and could not readily be bought at any price.
The goats of Lower Sind are for meat purposes, far superior to anything we have in the
Presidency Proper. Those found generally throughout the Deccan are extremely leggy and
unshapely. The Surat goat is a distinct breed, confined almost exclusively to the Town of
Surat. This is a small goat, very compact and shapely with small bones and feet. This is a
noted milk breed and on account of its value in this respect many are bought in Surat and
taken to all parts. In the Arab stables in Bombay, exceptionally good imported milch goats
are usually bought. These are usually white or tawny yellow in colour, with long hair and a
beard. Those imported are no doubt select specimens. They have large wide deep frames
on short legs with rather coarse bone. In India the feet of these goats soon get out of shape
and become affected with foot rot.
APPENDIX LXIII.
Note on the chief breeds of Sheep in the Madras Presidency by the Principal, Saidapet
College of Agriculture.
Nellore.—A good specimen is from 30 to 36 inches in height, rather lanky, colour brown
produces no wool, 50 to 100lbs. live weight, yearling lamb cost Rs. 3, when full grown
costs from Rs. 5 to Rs. 12, produces good mutton, could be purchased at Nellore and some
times at Madras.
Coimbatore.-Rams 26" ewes 22" in height, colour white with a black head, produces
good wool, staple 4 to 5 inches long, and fleece from 1 to 31bs. annually. Fifty to 601bs
live weight, yearling lamb costs Rs. 3, when full grown costs Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 fattens well
and produce good mutton, could be purchased in the weekly markets of Coimbatore