Class 4 : Definition of breed-classification of indigenous, exotic cattle and

buffaloes -Breed characteristics of Sindhi, Kangayam and Umblacherry,

Jersey, Holstein Friesian, Murrah and Surti.
Breed: Definition : Denotes and established group of animals / birds having the
similar general body shape, colour, structure and characters which produced
offspring with same characters
I . Cattle - 1. Indigenous 2. Exotic
Indigenous Breeds are classified under three groups based on utility / purpose.
a. Milch - Example- Sindhi, Sahiwal, Gir and Deoni
b. Dual - Example- Hariyana, Ongole, Tharparkar, Kankrej
c. Draught – Example- Kangayam, Umblacherry, Amritmahal, Hallikar
2. Exotic – Milch – Jersey, Holstein Friesian
Red Sindhi
Also Known By: Malir (Baluchistan), Red Karachi, Sindhi
The Red Sindhi originated in the Pakistani state of Sind but due to its hardiness,
heat resistance and high milk yields they have spread into many parts of India
and at least 33 countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
Under good management
conditions the Red Sindhi averages
over 1700 kg of milk after suckling
their calves but under optimum
conditions there have been milk
yields of over 3400 kg per lactation.
The average height of a Red Sindhi cow is 116 cm with a body weight of 340
kg. Bulls average 134 cm in height and a body weight of 420 kg. They are
normally a deep, rich red color but this can vary from a yellowish brown to dark
brown. Males are darker than females and when mature may be almost black on
the extremities, such as the head, feet and tail.
Red Sindhi in Australia
Red Sindhi cattle arrived in Australia in 1954 from Pakistan, as a gift to the
Australian Government. While traditionally considered a milking breed they
have been successfully used in crossing systems with British breeds to produce
tropical beef types. In Australia, they have been an adaptable, hardy breed, good
foragers and have a high degree of resistance to heat and ticks.

JERSEY
The Jersey breed originated on the Island of Jersey, a small British island in the
English Channel off the coast of France.
The Jersey is one of the oldest dairy
breeds, having been reported by
authorities as being purebred for
nearly six centuries.
The breed was known in England as
early as 1771 and was regarded very
favorably because of its milk and
butterfat production. At that early date, the cattle of Jersey island were
commonly referred to as Alderney cattle although the cattle of this island were
later referred to only as Jerseys. Jersey cattle were brought to the United States
in the 1850's. Adaptable to a wide range of climatic and geographical
conditions, outstanding Jersey herds are found from Denmark to Australia and
New Zealand, from Canada to South America, and from South Africa to Japan.
They are excellent grazers and perform well in intensive grazing programs.
They are more tolerant of heat than the larger breeds. With an average weight of
900 pounds, the Jersey produces more pounds of milk per pound of body weight
than any other breed. Most Jerseys produce far in excess of 13 times their
bodyweight in milk each lactation.
The modern Jersey breed is unexcelled in dairy type. Breeders in the United
States commonly referred to two distinct types of Jerseys in the past, these
being the Island and the American; this distinction is not commonly made at
present. It should be recalled that this is a different usage of the word "type"
than is usually implied and refers to the general size and quality of the animal
rather than to its use for dairy purposes. The Island-type Jerseys excelled in
refinement and those qualities that were deemed necessary to win in the show
ring. Refinement and beauty of such cattle in mature form led to the marked
superiority of cattle imported from the island of Jersey or their direct
descendants in winning most of the major awards of the American show ring.
The socalled American-type Jerseys were noted much more for production than
for beauty. Cattle referred to by this description are usually larger, a bit coarser,
and have been bred for years for those qualities that suit them for milk and
butterfat production. Some have referred to them as the "Farmer's" Jersey.
Usually after two or three generations in the United States in the hands of the
ordinary feeder, the refinement of the Island cattle gives way to the larger and
less refined American kind. In recent years there has been less concern about
these type variations; no doubt the program of type classification has tended to
reduce the extremes. Additional emphasis on milk production and less stress on
butterfat production had, no doubt, resulted in general acceptance of Jersey
cows with more size and scale. Recent importations of Jerseys have consisted of
larger cattle than many previously brought to the United States. Their offspring
have not only been acceptable in type but have also been used advantageously
in improving production.
Cows show very marked refinement about their heads and shoulders, carry long,
straight top lines, and usually carry out long and level at the rump. For their
size, they are usually deep in the body and full and deep in the barrel. There is
no more appealing dairy animal than the wellbalanced Jersey cow, and although
usually somewhat more nervous in disposition than the other dairy cows, she is
usually docile and rather easy to manage. Jersey cows usually have an extreme
weight range of between 800 and 1200 pounds, but medium-sized cows are
usually preferred.
Jersey bulls, while small as compared to the other dairy breeds, are extremely
masculine. They are quite muscular about their crests and shoulders and are
considerably less refined throughout than are the females. The same general
qualities of straight lines and diary conformation as are found in the cows are
desired in bulls. They usually range in weight from 1200 to 1800 pounds, but as
in the females, medium weights are usually preferred. Jersey bulls are known
for having the least docile temperament of the common breeds of cattle. It is
folly to trust any dairy bull and particularly Jerseys past eighteen months of age.
Modern Jerseys may be of a wide range in color. There is little preference today
between the solid and broken colors although most breeders slightly prefer the
cattle with an unbroken color pattern. Most prefer the dark tongue and switch,
but this is more a matter of an identification point than a point of discrimination.
The color in Jerseys may vary from a very light gray or mouse color to a very
dark fawn or a shade that is almost black. Both the bulls and females are
commonly darker about the hips and about the head and shoulders than on the
body. Most breeders slightly prefer the medium shades of color to the
extremes, but nearly all of them realize that type and producing ability are far
more important than the shade of color or whether the color is solid or broken.
Holstein
Origin of the Breed
The Holstein cow originated in Europe. The major historical developement of
this breed occured in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the
two northern provices of
North Holland and Friesland
which lay on either side of
the Zuider Zee. The original
stock were the black animals
and white animals of the
Batavians and Friesians,
migrant European tribes who
settled in the Rhine Delta region about 2,000 years ago.
For many years, Holsteins were bred and strictly culled to obtain animals which
would make best use of grass, the area's most abundant resource. The
intermingling of these animals evolved into an efficient, high-producing black
and-white dairy cow.
Imports to America
After the New World was settled, and markets began to develop for milk in
America, dairy breeders turned to Holland for their seed stock.
Winthrop Chenery, a Massachusetts breeder, purchased a Holland cow from a
Dutch sailing master who landed cargo at Boston in 1852. The cow had
furnished the ship's crew with fresh milk during the voyage. She proved to be
such a satisfactory producer, that Chenery made later importations of Holsteins
in 1857, 1859 and 1861. Many other breeders soon joined the race to establish
Holsteins in America.
After about 8,800 Holsteins had been imported, cattle disease broke out in
Europe and importation ceased.
Americans Build Their Own Breed
In the late 1800's there was enough interest among Holstein breeders to form
associations for the recording of pedigrees and maintenance of herdbooks.
These associations merged in 1885 to found the Holstein-Friesian Association
of America, the Holstein Association.
Characteristics of Holsteins
Holsteins are most quickly recognized by their distinctive color markings and
outstanding milk production. Physical Characteristics Holsteins are large,
stylish animals with color patterns of black and white or red and white.
A healthy Holstein calf weighs 90 pounds or more at birth. A mature Holstein
cow weighs about 1500 pounds and stand 58 inches tall at the shoulder.
Holstein heifers can be bred at 15 months of age, when they weigh about 800
pounds. It is desirable to have Holstein females calve for the first time between
24 and 27 months of age. Holstein gestation is approximately nine months.
While some cows may live considerably longer, the normal productive life of a
Holstein is six years.
Milk Production
Average production for all Holsteins enrolled in official U.S. production-testing
programs in 1987 was 17,408 pounds of milk, 632 pounds of butterfat and 550
pounds of protein per year.
Kangayam
The Kangayam cattle conform largely to the Southern Indian Mysore type,
thought there is evidence of the blood of the gray-white Ongole cattle in their
composition. Possibly this mixture has given the breed its larger size in
comparison with other cattle of the Mysore type. This breed, in its native area,
is also known by other names of Kanganad and Kongu though the name
Kangayam is well-known.
These cattle are bred in the
southern and southeastern
area of the Coimbatore district
of Madras State in India.
It is observed that there are
two varieties of Kangayam cattle, one small and the other large. The smaller
variety is found to be more numerous in the Kangayam, Dharampuram,
Udmalpet, Pollachi, Paddadam and Erode subdivisions, while the larger variety
is found in the areas of Karur, Aravakurchi and Dindigul subdivisions. The
breed is found in its pure form in the herds of some large breeders, notably the
Pattagar of Palayakottai, who is supposed to have one of the best herds of the
breed in the country.
Characteristics
Both varieties of this breed are strong and active, with compact bodies and
short, stout legs with strong hooves. Horns in the smaller variety spread apart
nearly straight, with a slight curve backwards. In the larger variety, the horns
are much longer, curve outwards and backwards and almost complete a circle at
the point where they approach the tips. The head is of moderate size with only
slightly prominent forehead. The head is more proportionate to the body with a
straighter profile than in most of the Mysore type cattle. The ears are small,
erect and pointed. The eyes are dark and prominent with black rings around
them.
The neck is short and thick. The back is short, broad and level. The body is
compact, with well sprung ribs. The quarters are slightly drooping. The dewlap
is thin and extends only up to the sternum. The sheath is well tucked up to the
body. The hump in bulls, though welldeveloped, is firm. The hair is fine and
short and the skin is dark in pigment and fine in texture. The tail is of moderate
length with a black switch reaching well below the hocks.
Kangayam color is usually gray or white. The males generally are gray with
black or very dark gray coloring on the head, neck, hump and quarters. In the
cows, the prevailing color is white and gray with deep markings on the knees,
and just above the fetlocks on all four legs. The calves are light or dark brown
with gray or white on the inside of the thighs, ears and forelegs, and
occasionally with gray or white rings on the pasterns and fetlocks. At two years
the heifer turns gray or dark gray and retains this color but with advancing age
after maturity the color fades and becomes white. Male calves become dark
gray or iron gray with black shading over the head, neck, hump, dewlap, fore
and hind quarters. With maturity the black shading becomes intensified.
Castrated males, however, show fading of the color.
Kangayam cattle are of moderate size, active and powerful, and are highly
prized draft animals. The cows are generally poor milkers but there are
encounters of fair producing abilities.
II. Buffalo – Murrah, Surti
Murrah ;
The breed tract is Rohtak,Hisar and Jind of Haryana.The breed characterstics
are massive body, neck and head comparatively long, horns short and tightly
curled, Udder well developed, hip broad and fore – and hind quarters drooping.
The tail is long reaching the fetlock s. The colour is usually jet black, with white
markings on tail, and face and extremities sometimes found. The bullocks are
good draught animals though slow and powerful. The average milk production
per lactation is 1,500to 2,500 kgs. and the heretability of this trait is 0.2-0.3.The
age at first calving is 45 – 50 months in villages but in good herds it is 36 – 40
months in intercaliving period is 450 – 500 days.
Surti : The breeds tracts of this breed is Kaira and Baroda districts of Gujarat.
The body is well shaped and medium sized. The barrel is wedge shaped. The
head is long with prominenet eyes. The horns are sickle shaped. moderately
long and flat. The back is straight and tail is farily long. The colour is black or
brown the peculiarity of breed is two white collars one round the jaw and the
other at the brisket. The milk yield ranges from 900 – 1300 Kgs. The age at first
calving is 40 to 50 months with an intercalving period of 400 – 500 days. The
heritability of the trait is 0.2 to 0.3. the peculiarity of breed is very high fat
percentage in milk (8 to 12%). The bullocks are good for light work.