Breeds of Dairy Cattle

and their Characteristics

• The breed is also known as “Malir”, “Red Karachi” and “Sindhi”.
• The color of this breed is red and so that they are known as Red Sindhi.

• Red shades vary from dark red to dim yellow from yellowish brown to dark brown but
most commonly, the animals are dark red.

• Occasionally small white patches are seen in dewlap and forehead.

• Males are darker than females and when mature may be almost black on the extremities,
such as the head, feet and tail

• Docile and quiet breed

 • Medium sized, compact well proportioned body
• Forehead becomes very wide and mildly bulging
• Ears are hanging/ drooping.
• Their head is comparatively smaller than their body
• Their umbilicus is very big and hanging.
• Udder is very big sized and well arranged, medium sized teats
• Horns are thick at the base and emerge laterally and curve upward.
• legs short
• long tail
• Hump heavy in males

• It is considered that breed is evolved from Las Bela cattle of Bela, Baluchistan.
• Red sindhi cow breed originated from Pakistan. Karachi, Lasbela and Hyderabad are the ancient
living place of this cow.

• This cow breed can be found in Pakistan, India, UK, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Africa and some other country.

• The breed was used in many countries including USA, Australia, Philippines, Brazil and Sri Lanka
for breed development. (to combine their tropical adaptations (heat tolerance, tick resistance,
disease resistance, fertility at higher temperatures, etc.)

• The Red Sindhi breed is reputed for milk production and heat tolerance.
 Bull Cow:
Red sindhi bulls become very strong and hardy. The average height of a Red Sindhi cow is 116 cm
Bulls average 134 cm in height and a body weight of 420 kg. with a body weight of 340 kg.

bulls strong, used for cart pulling and field tilling

• A red sindhi cow gives about 10 kg milk daily.

• Cow produces calf at the age of 3 years for first
time.
• annual milk production: 3500 kg.
• milk yield: 1100 to 2600 kg per lactation
• average yield: 1840 kg per lactation.
• Fat percentage: 4 to 5.2% with an average of

Calf 4.5%.
▪ When the calf born they weights about 22-25 kg.
 Sahiwal
Dual Purpose:
• Dairy,
• Beef and
• Work

• The Sahiwal's colour ranges from Brownish Red to Greyish Red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline.
• In males, the colour darkens towards the head, neck, legs, and tail.
• The tail ends with a black switch.
• Lethargic breed
• Body is symmetrical average weight height at withers
• Head is long and broad • cows: 425 kg 120 cm
• Horns are short and stumpy.
• bulls: 500 kg. 136cm
• The breed is also known for long and drooping ears.
• The hump is massive, nominal in females. • calves 20-25 kgs
• Dewlap is medium in size.
• Short legs
• They have a good slope at rump.
• Tail is long, whip like almost reaching the ground
• Animals have well developed, large but uneven udders.
• The Sahiwal cattle also has larger teat compare to other Zebu breeds, hence milking is easier.
 • The Sahiwal cattle is a breed of Zebu (indicine cattle or humped)
cattle, mainly used for milk production.

• Among all Zebu cattle, the Sahiwal cattle produce the most amount
of milk.

• It is also popular due to its ability to produce high quality of milk

with high butter fat content.

• Sahiwal is considered to be one of the best milch cattle breed of

India.

• Sahiwal can also be used for commercial meat production, usually

in ranches. Sahiwal beef is noted for its even fat cover and leanness.

• The Sahiwal cattle originated from the Sahiwal district of Punjab

province in Pakistan.
Sahiwal cattle are considered one of the top dairy breeds in India and Pakistan mainly due to:
• high milk production

• resistance to tick borne diseases.

• It thrives in arid and semi-arid areas where pure exotic breeds find it difficult to cope.
Sahiwal is known for:
• easy calving,
• rapid weight gain,
• heat and drought tolerance,
• capacity to cope with bloat,
• hybrid vigour and
• longevity (they can reproduce up to 20 years).
• Compared to other local breeds, the Sahiwal is a very good milk producer.
• They are capable of producing an average of 8 - 10 kg of milk/day
• fat content: approx. 4.5 %, within an average lactation period of 10 months.
• The lactation yield ranges from 1600 to 2750 Kg.
• Average lactation yield of Sahiwal cows is 2325 kilo grams.
• However, selected herds may have higher productivity.
• Milk yield as high as 6000 lit has been recorded under organized farm conditions.
Feeding
The Sahiwals thrives on natural pastures.
This includes Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), star grass (Cynodon plectostachyum) as well as
raised fodder grasses like Boma Rhodes (Chloris gayana), Foxtail grass (Cenchrus Ciliaris) and Fodder
Sorghum, among others.
Water and minerals lick are also important to the Sahiwal cattle.
The Sahiwal kept for milk production can be supplemented with a protein legume and concentrate for more
milk production.
Ticks are a major threat to the Sahiwals in pasture areas.
 Red Dane

The Danish Red has been selected for:

• milk production,
• fertility,
• calving ease,
• health and conformation.
• The Danish Red feature high production cows with great udders and fantastic conformation.
• The Danish Red cattle are a very important and major breed of dairy cattle in northern Europe. It is
also known by some other names such as Red Dane, Red Danish.
• It is a dual-purpose breed which are raised for both milk and meat production.
• The Danish Red cattle breed was actually developed in Denmark
 • butterfat content in milk: around 4.17 percent
• protein: about 3.5 percent.
• average production of milk: about 8,000 kg of milk/lactation.

• Good milk quality,

• well adapted to native
climates, • The Danish Red cattle are very hardy and strong animals.
• good for meat, • They are well suited to their native climates and also very adaptable to varying
• very hardy, climates.
• easy calving, • They can thrive in colder weather and also have great heat-tolerance.
• disease resistant,
• well adapted to varying
climates,
• great heat-tolerance,
• thrive well in colder weather
Danish Red Cattle | Breed Profile

Breed Name Danish Red

Other Name Red Dane, Red Danish

Breed Purpose Dual-purpose (milk & meat)

Special Notes Good milk quality, well adapted to

native climates, good for meat, very
hardy, easy calving, disease resistant,
well adapted to varying climates, great
heat-tolerance, thrive well in colder
weather
Breed Size Medium to large

Weight Bulls: Around 1000 kg

much larger than cows

Cows Around 660 kg

Climate Tolerance Native climates

Coat Color Red

Horned Yes

Milk Yield Good

Rarity Common

Country/Place of Origin Denmark

• Cows are quite fertile, live long and fertile lives, and have excellent udders for optimum calf-nourishment. Their calving-
interval is usually just under 13 months.

• The calving process is known to be relatively problem free, and Danish Reds usually weigh about 36-40kg at birth.
They often continue to gain weight at about 1.4kg per day!

• Danish Red cattle have great immune systems and rarely suffer from health problems! Cases of mastitis are rare,
and they’ve been bred to be quite disease-resistant.

• The cattle are also very adaptable to varying climates. They have great heat-tolerance but can also thrive in colder
weather.

• Danish Red can actually be used for beef production! Their slaughter yield is usually about 56%. Although mainly bred
as a dairy breed, their beef is still regarded highly!
 Jersey
Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the
breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its
milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its
lower bodyweight.

• The Jersey is a breed of small-framed dairy cattle.

• cow short with straight top line
• well proportionate body
• large udder with large teats
• Average weight: cows= 500 kg; bulls = 820kg; Calves = around 25kg,
• (more milk per kg body weight than any other breed)
• Their coat is usually fawn, but they can range from nearly black to a pale tan colour.
• This darker colour in Jerseys is often called Mulberry Switches and mouths are usually black, with white
hair around the muzzle and in other patches.
• Their hooves are black and tough.
• Their frames are quite dainty, making them an attractive little breed; not to mention their striking long
eyelashes
 excellent grazers

• This dairy breed originates from the Channel Island of Jersey, a small British island in English Channel.
• They are the second most popular dairy breed in the world.
• Wide Distribution: Denmark to Australia, Canada to South America, South Africa to Japan
• One of the oldest dairy breeds.
• Jerseys can adapt very well to extreme temperatures.
• They can thrive in the hottest parts of South America, but their coat can thicken during cold winters.
• Jersey cows are known for being extremely docile.
• calm but nervous and sensitive animals
• Their pleasant temperament makes them a popular addition to farms.
• Jersey bulls are actually among the most aggressive of the entire bovine species
• The breed has great longevity, cutting down the need for replacement costs for herds.
• This also allows for more lactations during the lifetime of cows.
• Jersey cattle have excellent resistance against disease.
• Their black, sturdy hooves also make lameness a rare problem in the breed.
• They have high fertility rates, and mature early.
• Many cows give birth for the first time after they reach 19 months.
• The calving interval also remains short.

• Their milk is considered quite a luxury product across Britain and other countries.
• high butterfat content: 4.84% which is 25% more than average milk,
• protein reaches about 3.95%, which is 18% more than other breeds’ product.
• 25% more calcium than average.
• A Jersey cow usually produces about 5,000kg of milk per year.
• large well built animals
• cows docile
• bulls aggressive
• head long and narrow
• thighs straight
• no hunchback
• fast growth rate
• long tail
• Holsteins are quickly recognized by their distinctive colour markings
• Holsteins are large cattle with colour patterns
(black and white or red and white)
• A mature Holstein cow weighs about 680–770 kg
• Height: 58 inches tall at the shoulder.
• Bulls: 900kg
• calf weighs 40 to 50 kg or more at birth.
 Holstein-Friesian, breed of large dairy cattle
originating in northern Holland and Friesland.

large sized and black and white spotted

markings, sharply defined rather than blended.

Dairy and Beef purposes

• outstanding milk production.

• The milk, however, has a averaging 5000-9500 L of milk per lactation.
• Of this milk, 858 pounds (3.7%) are butterfat and 719 pounds (3.1%) are protein.
• They are known as the world's highest-production dairy animals.
• relatively low butterfat content.
 Murrah

Murrah Buffalo is a most productive water buffalo breed.

Murrah buffaloes are resistent to diseases
A Murrah Buffalo milk yield usually ranges from 10 liters per day to 16 liters per day.
Murrah buffalo yield ranges in the range of 2500 to 3600 liters per lactation.
The Murrah buffalo is a breed of domestic water buffalo which was originated from India.
It is a popular dairy buffalo breed and kept mainly for milk production.
The home tract of this breed is Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Jind, Jhajhar, Hisar and Rohtak districts of Haryana.
The breed is also found in Nabha and Patiala districts of Punjab and around Delhi.
The Murrah buffalo is very popular and a very good milk producer not only in India but also probably in the world. Today
the breed is available in many countries around the world such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Phillippines, China, Malaysia, Nepal,
Brazil, Ecuador and Azerbaijan.
The Murrah buffalo has been used to improve milk production of dairy buffalo in other countries such as Bulgaria, Egypt
and Italy.
It is used for both meat and milk production in Brazil.
It is mainly jet black in color, but sometimes appear with white markings on the face or legs.
Generally they have short and tightly curved horns.
Their eyes are black in color, slightly shrunken in males but active and prominent in females.
females have long and thin neck,
males have thick and massive neck.
Their ears are short, alert and thin.
The females have fully developed, drooping udder with teats equally distributed over the udder but hind teats are longer
than fore teats.
Average body height of the mature bulls is around 142 cm at the withers, and around 132 cm for the cows.
Average live body weight buffalo:750 kg
bulls : 650 kg.
The Murrah buffalo is a dairy breed, and it is raised mainly for milk production.
also used for meat production in some countries.
The Murrah buffalo are very good for milk production, and very popular around the world as a dairy animal. Average
milk production of a cow is around 2200 liters in a lactation period of 310 days. Daily milk production of a cow is
around 14-15 kg, with a maximum recorded production of 31.5 kg.
First calving generally occur within 3 years of age. Generally average inter-calving period is between 400 and 500 days.

Currently it is a highly prized animal and sells for a

high price in both domestic and foreign markets. The
famous Murrah buffalo named ‘Yuvraj’ is said to
produce $3000 worth semen in a single ejaculation.
 Murrah Buffalo | Breed Profile

Breed Name Murrah

Other Name None

Breed Purpose Milk

Special Notes Very popular, very good for milk

production, 14-15 liters average
Breed Size Large

  Bulls Around 750 kg

Weight
Cows Around 650 kg

Climate Tolerance All climates

Color Jet black

Rarity Common

Country/Place of Origin India