This book entitied "Sheep production and Breeding" presents larger prospective of sheep production and breeding in India with background of sheep, its multifacet utility (for meat, wool, skin and manure, to some extent milk and transport) with its important role in agrarian economy because of its adaptation to arid and semi-arid climate and as a source of livelihood for small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. In addition to description of sheep breeds and breeding methods, breeding policy highlighting the recent advances through research in wool; muttonand pelt production during last three decades have been detailed. Information on care and management, feeding, selection and judging of breeding stock for wool and mutton, artificial inseminatin and reproduction are given in a comprehensive maner. Other chapters included in teh book are biotechnology and its use in sheep production; biochemically polymorphic traits and their relationship with production nad reproduction; heterosis; genetic divergence; selection indices; disease and their control; wool quality assessment and product manufacturing and marketing of sheep and their products. Present status of wool industry with import and export trends is also presented. Different chapters of the book discuss the recent advances made in enhancing the sheep productivity through better breeding, feeding, reproduction, housing, management and disease control along with futrure strategies for enhancing sheep production. The book will be useful for post graduate students besides planners and policy makers in the field of sheep production and those engaged in research and development programmes.

Table of Contents:
Importance of Sheep in India, its Status with Respect to production with historical background and its characteristics; India's sheep population and their production potential, population dynamics, productivity and Grazing management; Classification of sheep breeds in different regions of India, their distribution and conformation Plates 1-31; Sheep genetic resources, their conservation, management and utilization; Exotic breeds of sheep used/being used in India; Care and management of native and crossbred sheep. Artificial Insemination in Sheep; Selection and judging of the stock for wool, mtton and pelt production; Improving sheep for Apparel wool production and quality; Improveing sheep for carpet wool production and quality; Improving sheep for mutton production and dual-purpse (Wool and mutton); Breeding sheep for pelt production - A New Dimension; Biotechnology and its use in sheep production; Biochemically polymorphic traints in sheep and their relationship with production and reproduction traits; Reproduction performance; Heterosis; Genetic Divergence; selection Index; Nutrition and feeding; Diseases and theri control; Sheep as source of fibre; Wool quality assessment and production manufacturing; Marketing of sheep and their Productions; Indian wool Industry: Present production trends - Import and export; Future strategies for enhancing sheep production; Selected references; Author index; subject index;