🐃 Buffalo Breeds

Types

Buffalo Breed Groups

Murrah

• Native: Haryana & Punjab region.
• The breed characteristics 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. White twitch.
• 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 1,500 to 2,500 kgs (Highest) with 7% fat percentage.
• The age at first calving is 42 – 45 monthsand inter-calving period is 450– 500 days.

Surti

• Native: Baroda (Gujrat)
• The barrel is wedge shaped. The head is long with prominent eyes.
• The horns are sickle shaped moderately long and flat. The back is straight and tail is fairly long.

  

• The colour is black or brown.
• The milk yield ranges from 900 – 1300 Kgs.
• The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months with an inter-calving period of 400 – 500 days.
• The peculiarity of breed is very high fat percentage in milk (8 to 12%).
• The bullocks are good for light work.

Mehsana

• Native: Gujrat.
• Cross of Murrah x Surti.
• The milk yield ranges from 1200 – 1500 Kgs per lactation.

Jaffarbadi

• Native of Gir forests, Kutch and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat.
• The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each side of the neck and then turning up at point (drooping horns).
• Heaviest Indian breed of buffalo.
• The udder is well developed with funnel shaped teats.
• The average milk yield is 1000 to 1200 kgs per lactation.

Nilli Ravi

• Nili Ravi is also known as Panch Kalyani.
• This breed is found in Sutlej valley in Ferozpur district of Punjab and in the Sahiwal district of Pakistan. This breed found around Ravi river.
• The most desired character of the female is the possession of white markings with pecular wall eyes.
• The milk yield is 1500-1850 kg per lactation and the inter calving period is 500-550 days.
• Age at first calving is 45-50 months.

Bhadawari

• Native of Agra and Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh.
• The body is usually light or copper coloured is a peculiarity of this breed.
• The average milk yield is 800 to 1000 kg.
• The fat content varies from 6 to 13 per cent (Highest).

Toda

• Toda breed of buffaloes is named after an ancient tribe, Toda of Nilgiris of South India.
• These buffaloes are quite distinct from other breeds and are indigenous to Nilgiri hills.
• Thick hair coat is found all over the body.
• They are gregarious in nature.

Nagpuri

• AKA Elitchpuri or Barari.
• The breeding tract of this breed is Nagpur, Akola and Amrawati districts of Maharashtra.
• These are black coloured animal with white patches on face, legs and tail.
• The horns are long, flat and curved, bending backward on each side of the back (Sword shaped horns).
• The milk yield ranges from 700 to 1200 kgs per lactation.

Pandharpuri

• Native of Kolhapur, Solapur districts (South Maharashtra).
• Typical characteristic of this breed is its horns which are very long, curved backward, upward and usually twisted outwards.
• The horns are very long extending beyond shoulder blade, sometimes up to pin bone.

Godavari

• It is a lesser known breed of buffalo, having their breeding tract in east and west Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• A new buffalo breed is evolved by grading up of local buffalo of coastal Andra Pradesh with Murrah breed.

Wallowing

• It is common behaviour of Buffaloes, roll about or lie in mud or water, especially to keep cool or avoid biting insects.

- G.C. Banerjee: A Textbook of Animal Husbandry
- https://www.dairyknowledge.in
- https://buffalopedianew.cirb.res.in/godavari/
- https://nbagr.icar.gov.in/
- https://www.nddb.coop/
- Wikipedia