Name: Abigail Z.

Corre DVM III Class Schedule: U034 (3:00-5:00)

Exercise No. 3: Water Buffalo Breeds

Table 4. Template for water buffalo breeds characterization

Water Buffalo Type Distribution General Appearance Outstanding Characteristics

Riverine Type
Murrah Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia,  Jet black in color  Broad hips and drooping
China, Ecuador, Guatemala,  White switch in the tail quarter
Dairy Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,  Soft and fine skin texture  Produces up to 32kg of
Nepal, Philippines, Sri  Horn is tightly and spirally curled milk a day, almost double
Lanka, Viet Nam, Venezuela  Short limbs than that of an ordinary
 Wedge shaped conformation buffalo
 Udder and teats are black
 Long and stout
Nili-Ravi Bangladesh, China, India,  Black with white markings on the  Medium-sized deep frame
Pakistan, Philippines, forehead, muzzle, face, and legs with elongated, coarse,
Dairy Sri Lanka  White switch and wall eyes and heavy head
 Horns are small and lightly  Milk yield is 1500-1850 kg
coiled per lactation and the inter
calving period is 500-550
days

Mehsana Dairy Maharastra state  Mostly black  Milk yield is 1200-1500 kg

 Body is longer than in Murrah  Intercalving period ranges
and the limbs lighter between 450-550 days
 Head is longer and heavier
 Horns usually are less curved at
the end, longer and could be of
irregular shape
Surti Gujarat: Anand, Kaira and  Fairly broad and long head with  Medium size and docile
Baroda districts a convex shape at the top in temperament
Dairy between horns  Unique straight back
 Horns are sickle-shaped and flat
which grow in a downward &
backward direction and then
upwards at the tip forming a
hook
 Black or brown
Bhadwari Uttar Pradesh, Madhya  Head is small, the legs are short  Medium size and wedge
Pradesh and stout shaped
Dairy  The hind quarters are uniform  Bullocks are good draught
and higher than the forequarter. animal with high heat
 Light or copper coloured tolerance
 Horns are curling slightly
outward, downward then run
backward parallel and close to
neck, finally turning upward
Banni District of Kutch in Gujarat,  Head has no slope towards the  Compact, wedge-shaped
India base of the horns and is slightly body which can be of
depressed in the middle medium to large size
Dairy  Deeper chest and a long barrel
with a rounded rib structure,
and medium length limbs with
broad bones
 Black in colour
 Have coiled horns that have a
vertical orientation
 Water Buffalo Type Distribution General Appearance Outstanding Characteristics
Swamp type
Philippine Carabao Philippines, Guam, Malaysia  Colour from light grey to slate  Low, wide, and heavy build
grey of draught animals
Draught,  Horns are sickle-shaped or  Well adapted to a hot and
meat curve backward toward the humid climate
neck.

Brazil Tipo Baio Dual- Amazon area  Black  Well adapted to locally
purpose  Horns are curved adverse conditions
(meat
and
dairy)

Philippine Tamarao Philippines  Colour is black to grey  Very hardy

Meat  Exist on poor quality
forage

Thailand Buffalo South east Asia  Grey or black with white  Strong and broad bodied
chevron below neck animal with prominent
Draught  White stockings on feet muscling in neck chest
 Horns are back swept and back.
Indonesian Tedong Southeast Asia  Greyish to black or white with  Unique black and white
Meat black spots colouration
 Horns are at point horizontally  Big, strong, and more
backwards stout with a valuation that
rises every year

Indonesian Carabao Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan,  Greyish to black  Massive muscles covering
Draught Sulawesi, Nutenggara  Curved horn the skeleton
 Strong , short legs and
neck
Guide questions

1. Give 5 differences between the swamp and the riverine water buffalos. (5 points)

Swamp Riverine

Found in the eastern half of Asia Found in the western part of Asia

Have 48 chromosomes (2n=48) Have 50 chromosomes (2n=50)

Utility is for draft purposes Utility is for dairy and meat production

Horns are broad wide Horns are tightly curled, and hold their
heads high

Have lower milk yields than the river Have higher milk yields than the swamp
buffaloes buffalos

Wallow in stagnant water pools and mud Wallow in clear, running water
holes

2. What is the biggest drawback of draught animals? (1point)

 Maintenance cost

3. What breed/s of buffalo does the PCC use in its improvement program of the
Philippine carabao? Explain your answer. (2 points).

 Murrah, Surti, or the Nili-Ravi