Milk Production Management & Dairy Development

Lesson 2. NEW BREEDS OF CATTLE (PART-6)

2.2.2 New Breeds of Cattle

Attempts have been made to introduce superior Exotic inheritance of Bos taurus into indigenous Bos indicus through cross breeding. Superior breeds/strains from such cross bred base have been evolved in cattle viz Karan Swiss, Karan Fries and Sunandini etc. The production performance is superior even to those of our indigenous pure bred dairy breeds besides these have shown reasonable adaptation to tropical heat and diseases.

Karanswiss

Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	NDRI Karnal, Haryana, Cross between Sahiwal cow and Brown Swiss Bull
Color	:	Light grey to deep brown
Head and Neck	:	Forehead is slightly dished, neck is medium
Horns	:	Horns are sharp.
Ears	:	Small
Hump	:	absent
Naval flap	:	Slightly loose
Body	:	Body is large, Legs are proportationate in size and well set apart
Tail	:	Various in length some times reaches up to the ground
Udder	:	Large size deep, wide bowl shaped excellent capacity.
Body Weight-male Body Weight-female	:	600 to 750kg 400 to 500kg
Milk yield	:	3500kg/lactation
Age at first calving	:	45 months

KaransFries:

Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	NDRI Karnal, Haryana, Cross between Tharparkar cow and Holstein-Friesian Bull
Color	:	Black patches with white patches on the forehead and on switch of the tail, Udder and teats
Head and Neck	:	Proportionate to the body
Udder	:	Large size deep, excellent capacity.
Milk yield	:	3700kg/lactation
Age at first calving	:	30 to 32 months
Calving Interval	:	13-14 months

Sunandini:

Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Kerala, Crossing local non descript cattle with jersey/Brown Swiss/Holstein-Friesian Bull.
Color	:	Mosaic type
Hump	:	absent
Body	:	Body compact
Udder	:	Well developed
Milk yield	:	2500kg/lactation
Age at first calving	:	32 months
Calving Interval	:	13 months

2.2.3. Descriptive and productive features of Exotic Breeds of Cattle

The exotic cattle breeds belong to the group Taurus. They have got certain distinctive characteristics in comparison with indigenous cattle. They are high milk producers. They are hump less cattle. Though high producer they can’t with stand high temperature. Many exotic cattle breeds were brought to India for cross breeding and upgrading purpose to improve milk production potentiality in our cattle. The important exotic cattle breeds were Holstein-Frisian, Jersey, Brown-Swiss, Guernsey, Red Dane etc.

Holstein – Friesian:

Fig.2.17 (a) Holstein-Friesian Bull

Fig.2.17(b) Holstein-Friesian Cow

World’s heaviest cattle breed and also highest milk producer
Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Holland
Colour	:	Black over white patches
Head / Neck	:	Long and narrow, Proportionate to body
Horns	:	Medium sized
Ears	:	Small, erect
Withers	:	sharp
Angularity of body	:	Conspicuous
Barrel	:	Lengthy, Voluminous
Udder	:	Capacious with medium sized teats
Switch of tail	:	White
Milk yield	:	6000 kg / lactation (Used for cheese making)
Fat %	:	3 to 3.5
Age at maturity	:	1 year
Age at first calving	:	24 to 45 months
Calving interval	:	13 months

Jersey:

Fig.2.18 Jersey Cow

Smallest of European breeds
Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Jersey Island in English Channel
Color	:	Fawn
Head	:	Small, face is Double dished
Ears	:	Erect
Withers	:	Sharp
Angularity of body	:	Present
Udder	:	Large, Capacious
Teats	:	Well placed and medium sized
Tail	:	Long
Switch of tail	:	Black
Legs	:	Strong, straight, sufficient width
Body weight-male Body weight-female	:	550 kg 400 to 450 kg
Milk yield	:	4000 to 5000 kg / lactation
Fat %	:	4 to 4.5
Age at first calving	:	25 to 26 months
Calving interval	:	1 year
This breed is Resistance to high temperature and humidity climatic conditions

Brown Swiss:

Fig.2.19 (a) Brown Swiss-Bull

Fig.2.19 (b) Brown Swiss Cow

Second heaviest of cattle breeds after Holstein Freisien Dual purpose breed Docile animal and also fleshy
Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Switzerland
Color	:	Different shades of brown, grey
Head	:	Short
Neck	:	Lean
Withers	:	Rounded
Body	:	Large sized
Back, loin, croup	:	Leveled
Udder	:	Large, Capacious
Body weight-male Body weight-female	: :	600 to 700 kg 500 to 600 kg
Milk yield	:	5000 kg / lactation with 4% butter fat
Fat%	:	5
Age at first calving	:	27 months
Calving interval	:	1 year

Ayrshire:

Fig. 2.20(a) Ayrshire bull

Fig.2.20 (b) Ayrshire cow

Most beautiful of the cattle breeds Large animal and over active and difficult to manage
Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Scotland
Color	:	Reddish spots over white color
Head & Neck	:	Short and thick neck
Horns	:	Medium sized, curving upward
Withers	:	sharp
Angularity of body	:	Present
Rump, croup	:	Wide
Tail	:	Up to hock
Switch of tail	:	White
Udder	:	Large capacious
Body weight-male Body weight-female	:	450-500kg 400-450kg
Milk yield	:	4600 kg/ lactation
Fat %	:	3.5 to 4
Age at first calving	:	26 to 27 months
Calving interval	:	13 months

Guernsey:

Fig.2.21 (a) Guernsey bull

Fig.2.21 (b) Guernsey Cow

Synonym	:	Nil
Origin	:	Guernsey island
Color	:	Brown with white patches
Head & Neck	:	Proportionate to the body
Horns	:	Short and Belt
Angularity	:	Present
Tail	:	Moderately long
Switch of tail	:	White
Milk yield	:	4000 to 5000 kg / lactation
Color of milk	:	Golden yellow because of presence of carotene
Age at first calving	:	26 to 27 months

2.3. Merits of Zebu and Taurus Cattle

Parameters	Zebu	Taurus
Hump	Present	absent
Color	Shades of red, brown, white, black and grey	Brown, mostly black with white parches
Body size	Small	Large
Body weight	Less	More
Back	Slightly curved	Straight
Wedges	Less prominent	More prominent
Dewlap	More developed	Developed
Feed in take	Less	More
Water In take	Less	More
Preference for shade	Yes	Relatively more
Heat tolerance	More	Less
Resistance to diseases	More	Less
Weaning	Easy	Easier
Management	Relatively easy	Difficult
Age at maturity	24-36 months	15-18 months
Age at first calving	3-3 1/2 years	2 1/2 years
Calving Interval	18-24 months	13months
Dry period	More than 60 days	Less than 60 days
Adoptability	Good	Poor
Milk yield	Less	More
Composition (%)
Water	86.4	87.5
Fat	4.5	3.6
Protein	3.7	3.5
Lactose	4.7	4.7
Minerals	0.7	0.7
Total solids	13.6	12.5
S.N.F	9.1	8.8