A study was conducted to analyze the socio-economic profile of the migratory sheep farmers in the Narayanapet district of Telangana state. Data were collected from 125 migratory sheep farmers by following the multistage random sampling techniques through personal interviews. The study revealed that the majority (67.2. %) of the shepherds belonged to the middle age group and the mean age of the sheep farmers was 38.66 ±11.72 years. A majority (77.60%) of the sheep farmers were illiterates, and only 22.40 percent of farmers were literates. Shepherds’ average sheep farming experience was 23.65 ± 12.58 years, and the average family size was 4.67 ± 1.67. The nuclear family (71.20%) was the most prevalent type in the three flock sizes of Narayanpet district. All the shepherds (100%) among three categories of flocks in the surveyed area belonged to the backward caste (BC) only. Among the shepherds, the majority (93.6%) of the sheep farmers had sheep rearing as a significant occupation. The average annual income of the shepherds was ` 85760 ± 55808.1/- and 80.00 percent of shepherds had a median annual income of ` 29952/- to ` 141568.1/-. A significant (P<0.01) relationship between the annual income of shepherds and the category of flock size was observed amongst the three flock categories. It was noticed that 57.60 percent and 42.40 percent of the shepherds were residing in pucca and kutcha houses, respectively, during their non-migratory period

Highlights

• Migratory sheep farming is mostly practiced by sheep farmers in Telangana.
• For sustainability of migratory sheep farming and formulation of specific policies, study on the socio-economic profile is essential.
• The younger generation from the shepherds’ communities are diverting towards other vocations due to hardships involved in migratory sheep farming.