Important Breeds of Cattle

 A breed is a sufficiently large group of animals evolved by human efforts through the principles of breeding over the past several centuries. The controlled rearing of domestic animals to improve their desirable qualities is called animal breeding. Some of the major techniques of animal breeding are selective breeding and crossbreeding. The members of a breed have a common ancestry and possess similar physiological and economic characteristics that are inherited in that breed. In India, a number of indigenous (desi) cattle breeds as well as crossbred cattle are engaged in milk production (Table 1.1). Crossbred cattle are developed by crossing the indigenous (Bos indicus) and exotic cattle (Bos taurus) breeds. Exotic dairy cattle breeds originated in different climatic conditions and have higher milk production potential, but these breeds are not well adapted to the Indian climatic conditions. In India, large percentage of cattle population is mainly reared for milk and draught/draft purposes. Only about 22–25 per cent of the cattle population is classified as breed and rest is considered as nondescript. One of the interesting characteristics of indigenous cattle is the presence of hump. Based on the utility, cattle breeds are classified as milch purpose breed, dual purpose breed and draft purpose breed. There are 41 well-known registered indigenous cattle breeds in India, some of which are of milch type, such as Gir, Hariana, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi and Tharparkar

Breed Other names Habitat Colour Distinguishing characteristics Utility Gir Kathiawari, Surti, Desan Kathiawar region of Gujarat Red with black hue. A few white spots are also found in some cows. The dewlap is big and thick. The hump is well developed. The limbs are widely placed but are not so muscular. Cows are good milkers. Bullocks are heavy and powerful animals, but are medium paced in movement.Hariana Haryana, Western U.P. and Eastern Rajasthan White or light grey Pole on the top of forehead. Long narrow face and flat forehead. The short curved horns emerge from the outer angle of pole. Ears are sharp and small. Dewlap is small, and the udder is well formed. Bullocks are good draught animals particularly for fast ploughing and road transport. Cows are good milkers. Sahiwal Montgomery, Multani, Lola Montgomery district of Pakistan Reddish or pale red and sometimes with white patches The forehead is broad with bright eyes and blunt thick horns. The hind quarters are well developed. Bullocks are used both for ploughing and for carting. Cows are good milkers. Red Sindhi Sindhi Karachi and Hyderabad regions of Pakistan Deep dark red A white mark on the forehead is present. Wellproportioned head with moderate size. Thick horns emerging laterally. Rounded drooping quarters, welldeveloped hump, dewlap and milk veins. Cows are very good milkers. Bullocks are used for heavy load on roads. Tharparkar Thari Marwar region in Rajasthan and Gujarat White or light grey Animals have short straight and strong limbs. They have moderately long face with broad pole and slightly bulging forehead. Males give a general impression of virility. Horns are of medium size. In young animals, particularly, there is a white or light grey line along the spine. Bullocks are used for ploughing and carting. Cows are very good

Performance of Indian milch cattle breeds Breed Average age at first calving (months) Average calving interval (months) Average lactation yield (Kg) Gir 45 14 900–1600 Hariana 50 15 1140–4500 Sahiwal 40 15 1350–2100 Red Sindhi 44 14 1700–3400 Tharparkar 42 14 1660–2500