Here is the list of cattle breeds that are mainly found in India:- 1. Milch Breeds 2. Dual Purpose Breeds 3. Draught Purpose Breeds 4. Other New Breeds.
A breed is a group of related animals with similar characters like general appearance, size, features and configuration etc. Often breeds resemble each other with slight morphological differences, but because of constant inbreeding in one locality, independent breeds have involved. In general, the cattle from drier regions are well built and those from, heavy rainfall areas, coastal and hilly regions are of smaller build.
There are total 231 breeds of cattlDe in the world out of which 26 are in India. Most indigenous cattle breeds in the tropics are multipurpose (milk, meat, draught) and that only a few breeds have good milk potential.
Classification of Cattle Breeds:
Indian cattle breeds are classified under three group based on Utility.
1. Milch Breeds:
(i) Gir:
The origin of gir based forest of South Kathiawar.
Characters:
Well-proportioned body, ears are markedly long, the head is moderately long, but massive in appearance with prominent bony forehead, colour is seldom entire varying from almost red to almost black spot of different colours are one the chief characteristics of this breeds. Average female weight is 386 kg, while males weigh 544 kg.
Production:
Cows are good milkers. Average yield 1746 kg. Bullocks are heavy and powerful.
(ii) Sahiwal:
The origin of this breed is central and Southern dry areas of the Punjab particularly in Montgomery district in Pakistan.
Characters:
Deep body, loose skin, short legs, stumpy horns, broad head and lethargic horns are short and thick. Various sheds of red, pale red and dark brown splashed with white colour.
Production:
This is the best dairy breeds in India. In village, the average yield is 2150 kg in 300 days lactation.
(iii) Red Sindhi:
The home of this breed is around about Karanchi and Hyderabad.
Characters:
Medium size and compact, animals having well-proportioned body, extremely docile, deep dark colour, heavy hump develop and sheath. Male weight average 450 kg, while females 295 kg.
Production:
Yield as high as 5,433 kg per lactation. Average yield is about 1.474 kg. Bullocks suited for field works.
(iv) Tharparkar:
The home of this breed is the Tharparkar district of Hyderabad.
Characters:
Medium size, deep built short, straight and strong limbs. Strong and well-proportioned frame, broad poll and forehead is slightly convex with medium sized horns. The tail is fine with black switch.
Production:
Cows are good yielders, bullocks suited for carting and ploughing. Average yield in village condition is 1474 kg.
2. Dual Purpose Breeds:
(i) Haryana:
The Haryana breed originated in East Punjab and are now extensively found in Rohtak, Hisar, Gurgaon, etc.
Characters:
Proportionate body, head is carried high. Horns are short, curving upward. Popular colour is white or light grey. Long and narrow face, small and sharp ears, skin is of fine texture and close to the body. Legs are moderately long and lean. Tail is short, thin and tapering towards the end with a black switch reaching just below the hocks.
Production:
Bullocks are good working animals for fast ploughing and road transport. Cows are average milkers with 1400 kg/ lactation.
(ii) Ongole:
The origin of Ongole breed is Andhra Pradesh.
Characters:
Large, heavy, muscular, forehead is broad with stumpy. Horns thick at the base and firm without cracks. Hump is well developed and erect, filled up on both sides without leaning. Popular colour is white.
Production:
Government Livestock Research Farm Guntur has maintained this “breed. Bullocks are powerful and suitable for cart and road work but are not fast. Cows are good yielder.
(iii) Kankerj:
This breed originated in North Gujarat in the Mumbai province of India.
Characters:
This is the heaviest breed, broad chest, forehead dished in the centre. Hump is well developed, tough skin, powerful body. In females, colour markings are lighter. Tail is of moderate length with black switch. The animal is energetic and vigorous, excitable and nervous with strangers.
Production:
Cows are fairly good milkers. Average yield is about 1333 kg, but individual approach 3500 kg.
(iv) Deoni:
North-West and Western portion of Hyderabad are considered as origin as deoni breed.
Characters:
Resembles gir breed, less pronounced forehead. Colour is black and white or red and white with irregular patches. Deep chest, well arched ribs.
Production:
Cow are good milker. Average yield about 900 kg in 300 days. Bullocks are well suited for heavy work.
3. Draught Purpose Breeds:
Some of draught purpose breeds are being described below:
(i) Amritmahal:
This breed is found in Karnataka State.
Characters:
Compact form with short straight back, well arched ribs, narrow face and prominent forehead with a furrow in the middle long sweeping horns typical of Karnataka. Tail is of moderate length with a black switch grey colour body.
Production:
This breed is the best draught breeds of India. Cows are not so good milkers.
(ii) Kanagayam:
This name of breed derived from Kanagayam division of Dharampuram Taluk of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu.
Characters:
Strong horns with sharp tips. Body moderately long, straight back, short and strong neck. The colour of the bull is of grey with dark grey to black marking, while cow is white with black markings. Just in front of the fetlocks on all four legs, moderate sized hump, strong limbs.
Production:
The cows are poor milkers yielding about 666 kg per lactation. The bulls are excellent for hard work.
(iii) Malvi:
This breed is found in Malwa district in Madhya Pradesh, but now also found in Rajasthan.
Characters:
Deep short and compact body. Ears are alert and short in size, short but thick horn tapering to a blunt point, short neck. Tail is moderately long with black switch. The general colour of the breed is grey to iron grey.
Production:
Bullocks are good for road and field work, good adaptability. Cows are poor milkers 5-6 kg/day. This breed is essentially a good draught breed.
(iv) Siri:
These animals are found in hill part of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan.
Characters:
Massive body, small head, sharp horns, small ears, well placed hump covered with a tuft of hair at the top. Strong legs, colour is black and white or red and white.
Production:
Bullocks are well suited for cart purposes, cows are poor milkers.
(v) Hallikar:
This breed is mainly found in the district of Hassan in Karnataka state.
Characters:
This is the medium size animal compact and muscular in appearance. The head is usually long. The face is long with small ears. The hump is moderately developed.
Production:
Cows are poor milkers, but bullocks are excellent draught type suitable both for road and field work.
4. Other New Breeds:
These are as follows:
This breed has been evolved at the NDRI, Karnal in Haryana by the breeding the Sahiwal cows with the frozen semen of brown Swiss bull.
Cow body weight is 400-500 kg. Bully body weight is 600-750 kg. Ears are small. Neck is of medium size. Hump is long. The colour is light grey to deep brown.
The lactation yield is 3355 kg is 305 days. The highest daily yield recorded in 43kg.
This breed is originated in Kerala by crossing the local non-descript cattle with Jersy, brown Swiss.
Compact body with arched ribs, colour is black and white or refze’s and red. Tail is of moderate length.
The overall milk production per lactation is more than 2500 L.