Breeds of cow (cattle)
Exotic Breeds (Not native to India)
|
S.No |
Breed |
Origin Country |
Milk Yield (Lactation) |
Key Features |
|
1 |
Holstein Friesian |
Netherlands |
5500–6100 L |
Highest milk yielder; black & white |
|
2 |
Brown Swiss |
Switzerland |
5000–5100 L |
Good adaptability |
|
3 |
Ayshire |
Scotland |
~4600 L |
Strong and vigorous |
|
4 |
Jersey |
Jersey Island (UK) |
~4000 L |
High fat % (~5%); small body size |
- Indian Milch (Dairy) Breeds (High milk production)
|
S.No |
Breed |
Native Place |
Milk Yield |
Special Features |
|
1 |
Sahiwal |
Montgomery (Pak) |
High |
Known as ‘Lola’; sweetest milk |
|
2 |
Gir |
Kathiawar (Gujarat) |
Good |
Long, pendulous ears |
|
3 |
Red Sindhi |
Karachi (Pakistan) |
Good |
Reddish coat, intelligent expression |
Draught Breeds (Used for ploughing, load pulling)
|
S.No |
Breed |
Native Place |
Features |
|
1 |
Malvi |
Malwa (MP) |
Strong, used for heavy draught |
|
2 |
Nagori |
Nagaur & Jodhpur (Rajasthan) |
Best draught breed; white/grey color |
|
3 |
Amritmahal |
Mysore (Karnataka) |
Long horns, narrow face |
|
4 |
Kangayam |
Tamil Nadu |
Compact body; used in ploughing |
Dual Purpose Breeds (Used for both milk and draught)
|
S.No |
Breed |
Native Place |
Special Features |
|
1 |
Hariana |
Hisar/Rohtak (Haryana) |
Best dual-purpose breed |
|
2 |
Kankrej |
Kutchh (Gujarat) |
Heavy body, known for ‘Swaichal’ gait |
|
3 |
Rathi |
Alwar (Rajasthan) |
Good milk yielder and draught |
|
4 |
Tharparkar |
Sindh (Pakistan) |
Also called White Sindhi |
|
5 |
Ongole |
Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) |
Pure white body |
|
6 |
Mewati |
Haryana |
Moderate milk & draught capacity |
|
7 |
Kosi |
Mathura (U.P.) |
Traditional dual-purpose breed |
Hybrid Breeds (Developed at NDRI, Karnal)
|
S.No |
Hybrid Breed |
Cross Combination |
Features |
|
1 |
Karan Fries |
Tharparkar × Holstein Friesian |
High milk, hybrid vigor |
|
2 |
Karan Swiss |
Sahiwal × Brown Swiss |
Better adaptability, milk yield |
Buffalo Breeds in India
|
Breed Name |
Native Place |
Milk Yield (Lactation) |
Fat % |
Special Features |
|
Murrah |
Rohtak, Hisar, Punjab (Haryana) |
~1600–2500 L |
6.5–7.5% |
Best dairy buffalo; jet black; tightly curled horns |
|
Mehsana |
Gujarat (Mehsana, Baroda) |
~1200–1500 L |
6–7% |
Cross of Surti × Murrah; popular in Gujarat |
|
Bhadawari |
Agra, Etawah (UP, MP border) |
~1000–1200 L |
12–13% |
Highest fat content; copper-colored body |
|
Jaffarabadi |
Saurashtra, Gujarat (Kathiawar) |
~1000–1200 L |
7% |
Heaviest Indian buffalo, forehead wide & heavy horns |
|
Nili-Ravi |
Firozpur (Punjab), Montgomery (Pakistan) |
~1500–1850 L |
6.5–7% |
“Wall eyes” (white iris); long tail & large udder |
|
Surti |
Baroda & Kaira (Gujarat) |
~1000–1300 L |
7–8% |
Sickle-shaped horns; docile & early milking breed |
|
Godavari |
Andhra Pradesh |
~1200 L |
~6.5% |
Developed from Murrah × native breeds (improved type) |
|
Nagpuri (Elitchpuri) |
Maharashtra (Nagpur) |
~1000 L |
6.5% |
Medium-sized, draught & dairy purpose |
|
Toda |
Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu |
~500–800 L |
~7% |
Tribal buffalo; semi-wild; used by Toda tribes |
|
Pandharpuri |
Maharashtra (Pandharpur) |
~1500–2000 L |
6.5% |
Long, sword-like horns; drought-tolerant |
|
Manda |
Odisha |
~500–600 L |
~6% |
Small breed; well-adapted to hilly regions |
|
Swamp Buffalo |
NE India (Assam, Manipur, Mizoram) |
~400–600 L |
5–6% |
Mainly used for ploughing; grey-black in color |
Points to Remember for Exams
- Best dairy buffalo breed – Murrah
- Highest fat content in buffalo milk – Bhadawari (13%)
- Highest milk yield among cows – Holstein Friesian (Exotic)
- Best indigenous milch cow breed – Sahiwal
- Best dual-purpose cow breed – Hariana
- “Wall eyes” seen in – Nili-Ravi buffalo
- ‘Lola’ cow is – Sahiwal (loose skin)
- ‘Mini elephant’ buffalo – Jaffarabadi
- ‘Swaichal’ gait found in – Kankrej
- Karan Fries developed from – Tharparkar × HF
- Milk yield of Mehsana buffalo – ~1800–2000 L/lactation
- Ongole cow native to – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
- Jersey cow native to – Jersey Island, UK
- Milch breed from Gujarat – Gir
- Murrah = Marvelous Milk = Jet Black Beauty
- Bhadawari = Bronze Beauty = Butter Rich (13% fat)
- Jaffarabadi = Jumbo Buffalo = Heavy Weight
- Nili-Ravi = ‘Nili’ Eyes = Wall Eyes
- Surti = Sickle Horns from Surat
- Toda = Tribal of TN = Wild & Less Yield
- Mehsana = Mix of Murrah and Surti
- Which buffalo breed gives highest fat in milk? Bhadawari (12–13%)
- Which breed is best for milk production?Murrah
- Which breed has “wall eyes”? Nili-Ravi
- Which breed is known as mini elephant? Jaffarabadi
- Which buffalo is found in Nilgiris? Toda
- Which is a dual-purpose breed (milk + draught)? Nagpuri
- Which buffalo is developed from Murrah × Surti? Mehsana
- Which breed is drought-tolerant with long horns? Pandharpuri
