Buffalo breeds

Buffalo Breeds Department of ABGB Veterinary College, Bangalore

Dr R Jayashree

Buffalo Breeds Well Known • Murrah • Pandharapuri • Surti

LESSER KNOWN • Dharwadi / Gowli • South Kanara • Godavari • Toda • Kuttanad

Dr R Jayashree

Murrah Buffalo •The colour is usually jet black with white markings sometimes found on tail The breeding tract of Murrah breed is Rohtak, Hisar and Jind districts of Haryana and Nabha and Patiala districts of Punjab in India.

Dr R Jayashree

Murrah Massive body Neck and head are comparatively long Horns short and tightly curved. Udder is well developed Dr R Jayashree

Murrah The hips are broad, and fore - and hindquarters drooping. The tail is long reaching up to the fetlocks.

Dr R Jayashree

Murrah The average milk yield per lactation - 1500 to 2500 kg.

The age at first calving is 45-50 months in villages but in well managed herds it is 36 to 40 months.

The intercalving period is 450-500 days.

The body weight of an adult female-430 to 500 kg; Adult male 530-575 kg.

The bullocks though slow are powerful.

Dr R Jayashree

Pandharapuri

Buffalo breed of south east Maharashtra (India).

The body colour varies from light to deep black.

Dr R Jayashree

Pandarpuri

• It is a medium sized animal having long narrow face, very prominent and straight nasal bone, comparatively narrow frontal bone and long compact body.

Its horns are very long, curved backward, upward and usually twisted outwards.

The animals are docile in temperament

Dr R Jayashree

Pandarpuri • Udders of lactating buffalo are medium sized, compact and somewhat hidden between hind quarters. • The tail is long and just reaching below hock. The switch of the tail is usually white while hooves are black in colour.

Dr R Jayashree

Surti

•The colour is usually black; animals of gray and copper •The body is well shaped and medium sized; the barrel is wedge shaped.

Dr R Jayashree

Surti • The breeding tract of this breed is Kaira and Baroda districts of Gujarat, India.

• The milk yield ranges from 900 to 1300 kg.

The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months with an intercalving period of 400 to 500 days.

• The breed is famous for early maturity and efficiency of milk production. The bullocks are good for light work.

Dr R Jayashree

Surti • The head is long and eyes prominent. The back is straight. The horns are sickle shaped, moderately long and flat.

The peculiarity of the breed is that there are two white collars, one round the jaw and the other at the brisket.

Dr R Jayashree

Jaffarbadi This breed is found in Gir forests of Kathiawad and is mainly concentrated in Kutch, and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat State.

Dr R Jayashree

Jaffarbadi •The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each side of the neck and then turning up at points into an incomplete coil • The forehead is very prominent.

Dr R Jayashree

Jaffarbadi These animals are mostly maintained by traditional nomadic breeders called Maldhairs. The bullocks are heavy and used for ploughing and carting. •

The dewlap in females is somewhat loose and the udder is well developed. • The colour is usually black; animals of gray and copper colour are also seen head and neck are massive.

Dr R Jayashree

Jaffarbadi The average milk yield is 1000 to 1200 kg. Some good specimens yield up to 2500 kg of milk in a lactation. •

•The average adult weight of female and male is 454 and 590 kg, respectively.

Under optimum inputs, they may weigh 800 and 1000 kg.

Dr R Jayashree

Mehsana

This breed has been developed from crosses between Murrah and Surti and is present in Mehsana, Sabarjanda and Banaskanta districts of Gujarat state.

Dr R Jayashree

Mehsana

The head is longer The horns usually are less and heavier

curved at the end compared to Murrah but are longer and could be of irregular shape.

Dr R Jayashree

Mehsana Animals are of medium size with low set deep body.

The udder is well shaped

The colour is usually black to gray, with white markings often on face, legs or tail-tip.

Dr R Jayashree

Mehsana • The milk yield is 1200 to 1500 kg per lactation.

• The intercalving period ranges between 450 and 550 days.

• The bullocks though slow are good for heavy work.

Dr R Jayashree

Nili-Ravi The Nili refers to blue water of river Sutlej. Ravi gets its name from river Ravi.

The breed is native of Sahiwal District of Pakistan and is also found in Sutlej valley in Dr R Jayashree Ferozpur District of Punjab state (India).

• The frame is medium sized. • The horns are small, coiled tightly and circular in cross-section.

Nili Ravi The neck is long, thin and fine. The navel is very small. The tail is long touching the ground. The udder is well developed.

Dr R Jayashree

Nili Ravi The head is elongate, bulging at top and depressed between eyes.

• Skin and hair colour of NiliRavi • Wall eyes and white markings on forehead, face, muzzle, legs and tail switch are common.

• The head is elongate, bulging at top and depressed between eyes.

Dr R Jayashree

Nili Ravi • The milk yield is 1500 to 2300 kg per

lactation .

• The intercalving period is 500 to 550 days.

• The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months.

• The bullocks are good for heavy trotting work.

Dr R Jayashree

Bhadawari

This breed is found in Agra (Bhadawari Tehsil) and Etawah districts of Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh.

Dr R Jayashree

Bhadawari Bodyi- medium size and of wedge shape.

Head –comparatively small.

Legs - short and stout, the hooves black Hindquarters uniform and higher than the forequarters Dr R Jayashree

Bhadawari The body is usually light or copper coloured which is peculiar to this breed.

The udder is not well developed and teats are of medium size.

Dr R Jayashree

Bhadawari The average milk production is 800 to 1000 kg with very high fat content (1013 per cent).

The bullocks are good draft animals with better heat tolerance.

The average adult body weight of female and male is 386 and 476 kg, respectively.

The tail is long, thin and flexible with black and white or pure white markings reaching up Dr R Jayashree

Toda Rare breed and confined to Niligri district of Tamil Nadu Semi-wild – highly temperamental and strong herd instinct Toda tribal responsible for improvement Dr R Jayashree

Toda buffalo Medium sized animal with fairly long body with deep chest

Produces fat rich milk having medicinal value

Dr R Jayashree

South Kanara

Medium sized well built animals

• Found in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts • Males- powerful work animals; Females –poor milkers- yield 1 to 5 liters per day

Dr R Jayashree

South Kanara Used for agriculture operation, transport and racing – Kambala

Dr R Jayashree

Dharwari/Gowli • Also known as Holesal or Mundargi buffaloes.

• Reared by Gowli tribe • Maintained in semi-feral conditions

Dr R Jayashree

Dharawari

Medium in body built, dark skinned with lining of dark sparse hairy coat.

Milk yield- 500 – 1500 kg/ lactation.

Dr R Jayashree

Godavari • The home tract of this breed is Godavari deltaic areas in Andhra Pradesh, India.

• Godavari breed has been developed from crosses of native buffalo with Murrah bulls.

• The animals breed regularly and have a short calving interval compared to Murrah.

They are hardy and possess good resistance to diseases.

Dr R Jayashree

Godavari • The animals are medium sized with compact body.

• The colour is predominantly black with a sparse coat of coarse brown hair.

• The head is clean-cut with lean face, convex forehead and prominent bright eyes.

• The horns are short, flat, curved slightly downward, backward and then forward with a loose ring at the tip.

• The chest is deep with well-sprung ribs.

Dr R Jayashree

Godavari • The barrel is massive and long with straight back and a broad level rump.

• The udder is medium in size. The tail is thin and extends below the hocks with or without a white switch.

• High fat with daily average milk yield of 5 to 8 kg and lactation yield of 1200 to 1500 kg.

Dr R Jayashree