Nilgiri sheep
{{Short description|Breed of sheep}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox sheep breed
| name = Nilgiri
| image = Nilgiri sheep's grazing in ooty lake side.jpg
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| image_caption = Grazing on the shores of Ooty Lake.
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| country = India
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The Nilgiri is an Indian breed of sheep. It is found only in Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu State in southern India. It is bred in the hilly parts of Nilgiri and yields fine wool.{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/article28991384.ece | title=Genetic conservation of Nilgiri sheep on Coimbatore | date=6 July 2002 | newspaper=The Hindu Business Line | accessdate=2 July 2020}} A national plan has been implemented to save the Nilgiri from extinction by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Conservation.
Wool quality and production
Some statistics pertaining to the breed are:AICRP, SB, Sandynallah. 1978 Progress Report, All-India Coordinated Research Project on Sheep-Breeding (Fine Wool), Sheep-Breeding Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Sandynallah (Nilgiris), Tamil Nadu
- average six months weight of total wool in kilograms 0.615 ± 0.028
- average single strand diameter 27.34 ± 0.077(μ)
- wool density(cm2) 2 199 ± 57