Phenotypic Characterisation of Dumka Sheep Populations in the Santhal Pargana Region of Jharkhand, India

Phenotypic characterisation of indigenous sheep populations is essential for their identification, genetic improvement and conservation. A substantial proportion of India's sheep population remains uncharacterised and undocumented. The present study aimed to characterise the Dumka sheep population of the Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand by measuring its morphological, morphometric, productive and reproductive traits. A survey was conducted in two blocks in each of three districts (Dumka, Deoghar and Jamtara) of Jharkhand. Thirty villages were randomly selected from the breeding tract. Morphometric measurements were recorded for 809 adult sheep (150 males and 659 females). Data on body weight, reproductive traits, milk production and carcass traits were collected through direct observation and farmer interviews. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and general linear model procedures in SPSS (version 23). The surveyed Dumka sheep population was distributed over approximately 8,006 km² in the Santhal Pargana region, with an estimated population of 52,000 animals. The population had a predominantly white coat, a small head, short ears, backward-curved horns, a short tail and coarse wool. Adult body weight ranged from 15.0 to 23.1 kg. Body length, chest girth and height at withers were 48.09, 56.45 and 49.86 cm in males, respectively, and 46.08, 56.83 and 48.98 cm in females, respectively. The population showed relatively early reproductive maturity, with an age at first lambing of 12.49 ± 0.31 months, a lambing interval of 180–210 days, a litter size of 1.10 and a lambing rate of 78.5%. These findings provide baseline information on the phenotypic, morphometric, productive and reproductive traits of Dumka sheep. The results may support further characterisation, conservation and genetic evaluation of this sheep population.