BREEDS OF DAIRY BUFFALOES

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Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Tribe: Bovini
Genus: Bubalus
Species: B. arnee

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▪ The domestic buffalo,
Bubalus bubalis, is
descended from the
wild water buffalo
(Bubalus arnee)

▪ Now designated an
endangered species.

▪ Buffalo have been bred, predominantly in Asia, for

thousands of years for use by humans.

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 HISTORY
▪ These water buffaloes were introduced into the
Philippines around 300 BC by Malay and Chinese
settlers, and in the early 1900s larger carabaos
from Cambodia were imported, as well as other
buffaloes from India and Pakistan.

▪ The term "carabao" is used to refer to any

imported or native water buffalo in the
Philippines.

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▪ Buffalo have been bred, predominantly in Asia, for
thousands of years for use by humans. Their main
domestic uses are as draught animals and for the
production of milk and meat.

▪ Two types are recognized, the river type and

the swamp type.

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• Swamp type buffalo
is most common in
Southeast Asia
where it is mostly
employed as a
draught animal,
particularly in rice
cultivation.
• Swamp buffalo have a very low milk yield and
are not used as milk producers such as Philippine
Carabao and Thai buffalo.
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• River type buffalo or
water buffalo was
present by 2500 bc in
India and 1000 bc in
Mesopotamia.

• The breed was selected

mainly for its milk,
which contains 8
percent butterfat.

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RIVER-TYPE BUFFALO BREEDS

NILI RAVI
SURTI
MURRAH
MEHSANA
NAGPURI
TODA
BHADAWARI
JAFFRABADI

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Nili Ravi

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▪ Originated around
the river Ravi.
▪ This breed is found
in Sutlej valley in
Ferozpur district of
Punjab and in the
Sahiwal (Pakistan)
of undivided India.

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❑ The peculiarity of the breed
is the wall eyes.
❑ Head is small, elongated,
bulging at top and
depressed between eyes.
❑ Horns are very small and
tightly coiled.

❑ Bullocks are good for heavy trotting work.

❑ The milk yield is 1500-1850 kgs. per lactation

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Female Nili Ravi

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Male Nili Ravi

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▪ Milk Yield ranges
from 1000 to 1300
kgs. Per lactation.

▪ Very high fat

percentage in milk
(8 to 12 percent)

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▪ Most important breed of
buffaloes whose home is
Rohtak, Hisar and Sind of
Haryana, Nabha and
Patiala districts of Punjab
and southern parts of Delhi
state.
❑ Otherwise called as Delhi,
Kundi and Kali
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• Most efficient milk and
butter fat producers in
India.
• Butter fat content is
7.83%. Average lactation
yield is varying from 1500
to 2500 kgs per lactation.
• Also used for the grading
up of inferior local
buffaloes.
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MEHSANA

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▪ Mehsana is a dairy breed
of buffalo found in
Mehsana, Sabarkanda
and Banaskanta districts
in Gujarat and adjoining
Maharashtra state.
❑ The breed is evolved out of crossbreeding
between the Surti and the Murrah.

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❑ Body is longer than
Murrah but limbs are
lighter.
❑ The horns are less
curved than in Murrah
and are irregular.

❑ Bullocks are good for heavy work.

❑ The milk yield is 1200-1500 kgs per lactation

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NAGPURI

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❑ This breed is also called
as Elitchpuri or Barari.
❑ The breeding tract of
this breed is Nagpur,
Akola and Amrawati
districts of Maharashtra.
❑ These are black colored animal with white
patches on face, legs and tail.

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• The horns are long, flat
and curved, bending
backward on each side of
the back. (Swaord shaped
horns).
• The bullocks can be used
for heavy work.

• The milk yield ranges from 700 to 1200 kgs per

lactation.
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TODA

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❑ This buffalo is named after an
ancient tribe, Toda f Nilgiris
Hills of south India and it is a
semi-wild breed.
❑ The predominate coat colours
are fawn and ash-grey.
❑ Thick hair coat is found all over the body.
❑ They are gregarious in nature.
❑ The body is long and deep and the chest is deep.
The legs are short and strong
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❑ The horns are set wide
apart curving inward,
outward and forward
forming a characteristic
crescent shape.
❑ The average milk yield
is 500 kgs per lactation
with high fat content of
8%.
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BHADAWARI

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❑ Home tract of this breed
is Agra and Etawah
district of Uttar Pradesh
and Gwalior district of
Madhya Pradesh.
❑ Medium sized buffalo.
❑ The body is usually light or copper is a
peculiarity of this breed. Eye lids are generally
copper or light brown color.
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❑ Two white lines ‘Chevron’ are present at
the lower side of the neck similar to that of
Surti buffaloes.
❑ The average milk yield is 800 to 1000 kgs.
per lactation.
❑ The bullocks are good draught animal
with high heat tolerance.
❑ The fat content of milk varies from 6 to
12.5 per cent.
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▪ This breed is an efficient converter of coarse
feed into butterfat and is known for its high
butter fat content

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JAFFRABADI

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• The breeding tract of
this breed is Gir forests,
Kutch and Jamnagar
districts of Gujarat.
• This is the heaviest
Indian breed of buffalo.
• The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each
side of the neck and then turning up at point
(drooping horns).
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❑ The udder is well developed
with funnel shaped teats.
❑ The average milk yield is
1000 to 1200 kgs. per
lactation.
❑ The bullocks are heavy and
used for ploughing and
carting.
▪ These animals are mostly maintained by traditional
breeders called Maldharis, who are nomads.

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 References
▪https://www.shutterstock.com/search/murrah
▪www.dairyfarmguide.com/jaffarabadi-buffalo-0117.html
▪https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surti_buffalo
▪https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nili-Ravi

▪https://www.breedslist.com/toda-buffalo.htm
▪https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhadawari
▪https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagpuri_(buffalo)
▪wiki.safariltd.com/index.php/Carabao

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