Breeds of Dairy Cattle
• Classification based on utility
• Dairy breeds
– Cows are good milk producers
– But bullocks are of poor draught quality
• Draught breeds
– Cows produce little milk
– Bullocks are good draught animals
• Dual purpose breeds
– Cows fairly good milkers
– Bullocks provide good draught power
DAIRY BREEDS - GENERAL CHARACTERS
* Ponderous in built
* Pendulous dewlap and sheath
* Loose skin
* Generally docile
Sahiwal
ÿ Origin: Montgomery Dist. of Pakistan
ÿ Reddish dun colour with white spots
ÿ Short & stumpy horns
ÿ Large dewlap & sheath
ÿ Milk production -1500 to 2500 kg/lactation
ÿ Remarks: Best indigenous dairy breed
Red sindhi
ÿ Origin: Karachi Dist. of Pakistan
ÿ Distinctly red colour
ÿ Horns short & stumpy
ÿ Dewlap and sheath pendulous
ÿ Milk production - 1500 to 2000 kg/Lactation
ÿ Remarks: Important dairy cattle breed of India
Gir
ÿ Gir hills and kathiavar forest of Gujarat
ÿ Red or Red with white patches
ÿ Broad convex forehead
ÿ Long pendulous ears like folded leaf
ÿ Curved horns
ÿ Sleepy appearance
ÿ Remarks : Milk yield 1,500 to 2,000 Hardy animal known for its tolerance to stress conditions
Rathi
ÿ Origin: Rajasthan
ÿ Medium sized symmetrical body
ÿ Brown with white patches
ÿ Short to medium sized horns
ÿ Pendulous sheath
ÿ Remarks: Milk yield - 1500 to 2000 kg/lactation
Draught breeds - General Characters
* Proportioned body
* Long barrel
* Tight sheath
* Tight skin
* Fast gait
* Alertness
Kankayam
ÿ Kangayam, Perunthurai and Bhavani taluks of Erode Dist. of TN
ÿ Grey to dark grey
ÿ Compact body short and stout legs
ÿ Ears erect and pointed
ÿ Long pointed horns
ÿ Dewlap and navel flab small
ÿ Remarks : Calves red at birth - changes to grey about six months
Bargur
ÿ Bargur hills
ÿ Of Erode Dist. of TN
ÿ Brown colour with white markings
ÿ Compact and medium in size
ÿ Horns long - Close at the roots
ÿ Tucked up sheath
ÿ Thin, bony limbs
ÿ Remarks: Noted for their speed and endurance in trotting
Umblacherry
ÿ Origin: Tanjore, Nagapatnam Dist. of Tamil Nadu
ÿ Grey with white markings on face and legs
ÿ Small outwardly curved horns
ÿ Small and swift animals
ÿ Remarks: One of the best draught breed of Tamil Nadu
Punganur
ÿ Chitoor Dist. of Andhra Pradesh
ÿ White to grey in colour
ÿ Short statured
ÿ Small short crescent shaped horns
Vechur
ÿ Origin: Vechur in Kerala
ÿ Light red, black or fawn and white
ÿ Small in size and compact body
ÿ Small thin horns
ÿ Remarks: Smallest cattle breed native of Kerala
Amirthmahal
ÿ Origin - Hassan dist. of Karnataka
ÿ Colour - Grey
ÿ Long tapering head
ÿ Long horns emerging close together
ÿ Sheath and navel flab close to body
ÿ Remarks : Famous draught breed known for its power and its endurance
Hallikar
* Mysore Mandya and Hasan Dist. of Karnataka
* Grey to dark grey
* Prominent forehead furrowed in the middle
* Long face-coffin shaped
* Long horns emerging near each other from top of poll
* Sheath tucked up
* Remarks:: One of the best draught breeds in South India
Khillari
ÿ Origin - Sathara Dist. of Maharastra
ÿ Greyish white in colour
ÿ Long pointed horns
ÿ Long face with bulged forehead
ÿ Coffin shaped head
ÿ Remarks: Fast, powerful draught cattle
Ongole
ÿ Origin - Prakasam, Nellore and Guntur Dist. of Andhra Pradesh
ÿ Glossy-white coat colour
ÿ Large heavy animals
ÿ Short, stumpy and blunt horns
ÿ Important dual purpose breed of Andhra Pradesh
Deoni
ÿ Marathwada region of Maharastra
ÿ Spotted black and white
ÿ Dropping ears
ÿ Short and blunt horns
ÿ Prominent forehead
ÿ Remarks : Popular dual purpose breed of Maharastra
Tharparkar
ÿ Origin: Tharparkar Dist. in Pakistan
ÿ White or light grey colour
ÿ Short thick horns set well apart
ÿ switch is black
ÿ Milk yield - 1500 to 2000 kg/Lactation
ÿ Remarks: Important dual purpose breed
Hariana
ÿ Rothack, Hissar Dist. of Haryana
ÿ White or light grey
ÿ Compact body
ÿ Long face with flat forehead
ÿ Head carried high
ÿ Short horns
ÿ Remarks: Prominent dual purpose breed of Northern India. Milk yield 1000 to 1,500 kg/lactation
Kankrej
ÿ Important dual purpose breed
ÿ Native of Gujarat
ÿ Heaviest cattle breed
ÿ Silver grey color
ÿ Strong lyre shaped horns
ÿ Remarks: Sawai chal (Peculiar gait) Milk Yield - 1000-2000
Krishna Valley
ÿ Origin - Krishna Dist. of Andhra Pradesh
ÿ Grey-white in colour
ÿ Large, Massive animals
ÿ Long face with bulged forehead
ÿ Coffin shaped head
ÿ Remarks: Exported to Brazil and USA
Breeds of Indian Buffaloes
Murrah
ÿ Origin - Rohtak, Hisar Dist. of Haryana and New Delhi.
ÿ Jet Black in colour
ÿ Massive with long and deep body
ÿ Short and tightly curved horns with spiral form
ÿ Zig zag milk-veins
ÿ Remarks : Murrah means curled, lactation 1000 to 2,000 kg, Fat% - 7.3, Best buffalo breed in the world
Surti
ÿ Origin - Vadodara, Surat Dist. of Gujarat
ÿ Brown to silver-grey colour
ÿ Sickle shaped horns
ÿ Two white bands (chevron) below the neck and in between ears
ÿ Milk yield - 1000 to 1500 kg / lactation
ÿ Remarks: Main stay of Anand Milk Union, Gujarat
Mehsana
ÿ Cross between Murrah and Surti
ÿ Origin - Gandhi Nagar, Ahmedabad Dist. of Gujarat
ÿ Black colour
ÿ Sickle shaped horns curved more upward than Surti and less curved than Murrah breed
ÿ Average milk yield - 1500 - 2000 kg/lactation
ÿ Remarks: Persistent milker, Fat% - 7
Jaffarabadi
ÿ Origin - Gir forest area of Gujarat
ÿ Black in colour
ÿ Prominent broad and convex forehead
ÿ Horns are ring like
ÿ Average milk yield - 2000 kg/lactation
ÿ Average Fat% - 7.6
ÿ Remarks; Heaviest breed, Gir
Nagpuri
ÿ Origin - Nagpur and Wardha Dist. of Maharastra
ÿ Black in colour
ÿ Horns are long flat, curved and carried up to shoulders
ÿ Average milk yield - 1000 kg/lactation
ÿ Fat% -7 to 8.5
ÿ Remarks: Dual purpose breed
Nili-ravi
ÿ Origin - Pakistan
ÿ Black to Brown colour
ÿ Wall eyed
ÿ White patches on forehead, face, muzzle,legs and tail
ÿ Curled horns
ÿ Milk yield - 1500 - 2000 kg/lactation
ÿ Remarks: Panch kalyani
Bhadawari
ÿ Origin - U.P and M.P
ÿ Blackish Copper colour
ÿ Two white lines at lower side of neck
ÿ Milk yield - 800 to 1500 kg/lactation
ÿ Remarks: Known for their high fat content in milk (6-12.5%)
Toda
ÿ Origin - Niligris Dist. of TamilNadu
ÿ Fawn to ash grey colour
ÿ Large and heavy head
ÿ Horns are long, wide apart and crescent or semicircle shaped
ÿ Milk yield - 500 kg in 200 days / lactation
ÿ Remarks: Milk is sweet flavoured , swamp buffalo
Pandharpuri
ÿ Origin:Solapur& Sathara Dist. in Maharastra
ÿ Black colour
ÿ Very long horns extending up to shoulder
ÿ Medium sized
ÿ Remarks: Milk yield - 1000 to 1500 kg/Lactation
Exotic breeds of cattle
• Native of European countries
• High milk producers
• Heavy animals
• Bullocks are poor draught animals
• Imported to India for cross breeding purpose
• Known as Bos tauras
• Humpless
• Generally docile
Jersey
ÿ Origin: Jersey islands of U.K
ÿ Tan to Cream colour
ÿ Small dairy breed
ÿ Short, dished forehead
ÿ Medium sized sharp horns
ÿ Hide bound appearance
ÿ Remarks: Milk yield - 4000 to 5000 kg/Lactation Important exotic cattle breed imported to India. Fat% - 5.4
Holstein x Freisian
ÿ Origin: Holland and Denmark
ÿ Black &white colour
ÿ Largest dairy breed
ÿ Milk yield: 6000 to 8000 kg/Lactation
ÿ Low milk fat - 3 to 3.5%
ÿ Remarks : Highest milk producer in the world
Brown swiss
ÿ Origin: Switzerland
ÿ Uniformly brown in colour
ÿ Large framed
ÿ Milk production - 6000 to 7000 kg/Lactation
ÿ Milk fat - 4%
ÿ Remarks: Second highest milk producer
Guernsey
ÿ Origin: United Kingdom
ÿ Fawn with white markings
ÿ Small pointed horns
ÿ Milk production: 4000 to 5000 kg/Lactation
ÿ Ranks fourth in milk production
ÿ Remarks: Milk is golden colour
Ayrshire
ÿ Origin: Scotland
ÿ Cherry red and white colour
ÿ Small pointed horns
ÿ Milk production - 5000 to 6000 kg/ Lactation
ÿ Milk fat - 4%
ÿ Remarks: Third highest milk producer
