India is considered as the home-tract for some of the best buffalo breeds. There are seven well-defined milch breeds of buffaloes namely Murrah, Nili-Ravi,Bhadawari, Jaffarabadi, Surti, Mehsana and Nagpuri. There are a few other lesser known breeds like Toda in Nilgiris, Parlakhemundi, Jerangi, Manda in Orissa and Pandharpuri and Marathwada in Maharashtra state. The population of these breeds is very small, and they are only found in isolated pockets but are distinct because of their morphological traits.Apart from providing milk, the buffaloes are also used for carting, ploughing and other agricultural operations. The buffaloes are also used as meat animal. The characteristics of important buffalo breeds used as dairy animals have been discussed below.
i. Murrah: The breeding tract of Murrah breed is Rohtak, Hisar and Jind districts of Haryana state and Nabha and Patiala districts of Punjab state. The breed characteristics are massive body, neck and head comparatively long, horns short and tightly curved, udder well developed, hips broad, and drooping fore and hindquarters. The tail is long reaching up to the fetlocks. The colour is usually jet black with white switch of tail. The bullocks are good draft animals though slow but powerful. The average milk yield per lactation is 1,500 to 2,500 kg. The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months in villages but in good herds it is 36 to 40 months. The intercalving period is 450 to 500 days. The milk fat and SNF percentages are 7.0 and 9.5 respectively.
ii. Bhadawari: This breed is found in Bhadawar Tehsil in Agra district and Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh. The animals have wedge shape body and are of medium size. The head is comparatively small,the legs are short and stout, the hooves are black, and the hindquarters are uniform and higher than the forequarters. The tail is long, thin and flexible with black and white or pure white markings reaching up to fetlock. The body is usually light or copper coloured which is peculiar‘ to this breed. The bullocks are reputed as good draft animals with heat tolerance. The ears are horizontal and medium in size. The age at first calving is around 50-55 months. The average milk production is 800 to 1,000 kg in a lactation period of 275-300 days. The average calving interval is 480 days (390-600 days). The breed is well known for its higher percent fat content in milk ranging from 6.5 to 12.5 per cent.
iii. Jaffarabadi: The breeding tract of this breed is Junagarh, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts of Gujarat State. This is the heaviest breed of buffaloes. The body is long and massive. The dewlap in females is somewhat loose and the udder is well developed. The head and neck are massive. The forehead is very prominent, broad and convex. The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each side of the neck and then turning up at points, but less tightly curved than in the case of the Murrah breed. The colour is usually black. The average milk yield is around 1800 kg (1400– 2300 kg) in a lactation period of 300 – 315 days. These animals are mostly maintained by traditional breeders called Maldharis, who are nomads. The bullocks are heavy and are used for ploughing and carting. The age at first calving is around 50-55 months and calving interval is 450 days. The average fat percentage is around 6.5 – 7.5.
iv. Surti: The breeding tract of this breed is Kaira, Bharuch, Vadodara and Surat districts of Gujarat. The body is well proportioned and medium sized. The barrel is wedge shaped. The head is long. The back is straight. The eyes are prominent.The horns are sickle shaped, moderately long and flat. The tail is fairly long. The colour is black or brown. The peculiarity of the breed is that there are two white bands, one round the jaw and the other at the brisket. The bullocks are good for light work. The milk yield ranges from 900 to 1300 kg. The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months with an intercalving period of 400 to 500 days. The Surti buffaloes have high fat percentage in milk (7.5 to 8.5 per cent).
v. Mehsana: The breeding tract of this breed is Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat state. This is considered to have been evolved out of crossbreeding between the Surti and the Murrah. The body is longer than in Murrah and the limbs lighter. The head is longer and heavier. The horns usually are less curved at the end compared to Murrah breed but are longer and could be of irregular shape. The udder is well shaped. The horns usually are less curved at the end as compared to Murrah breed but are longer and could be of irregular shape.The udder is well shaped. The colour is usually black to grey, with white markings often on face, legs or tail-tips. The bullocks are good for heavy work but rather slow. The age at first calving is around 42-48 months. The milk yield is 1,400 to 1800 kg in a lactation period of 290- 310 days. The intercalving period ranges between 450 and 550 days. The milk fat averages around 7.0 to 8.0 per cent.
vi. Nagpuri: The breeding tract of this breed is Nagpur, Akola and Amravati districts of Maharashtra. This is also called as Ellichpuri or Barari. The horns are long, flat and curved, bending backwards on each side of the back almost to shoulders. The face is long and thin. The neck is somewhat long, the limbs are light.The tail is comparatively short reaching a little below hocks. The bullocks are good for heavy trotting work but slow in movement. The milk yield is 700 to 1,200 kg per lactation. The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months and intercalving period is 450 to 550 days. The milk fat averages around 7.0 to 8.5 per cent.
vii. Nili-Ravi: The breed is found along with the Basins of Sutlej River in Ferozepur and of Ravi River in Amritsar districts of Punjab state and in adjoining areas of Pakistan. The head is elongate, bulging at the top and depressed between the eyes.The frame is medium sized. The peculiarity of the breed is the wall eyes. The horns are small and coiled tightly. The neck is long, thin and fine. The naval is very small.The udder is well developed. Usually the colour is black with white markings on forehead, face, muzzle, tail and legs (Panch Kalyani). The bullocks are good for heavy trotting work. The milk yield is 1700 to 2100 kg per lactation. The intercalving period is 500 to 550 days. The age at first calving is 42 to 48 months. The milkfat averages around 6.5 to 8.0 per cent.
Breed Improvement in Buffaloes
The genetic improvement in the buffaloes for improving milk production should be brought through selective breeding. The young male calves (future breeding bulls) with better growth, true breed confirmation and reproductive characteristics can initially be selected as superior progenies of elite dams with best lactation milk yield more than 2500 kg. The young bulls subsequently are evaluated on the basis of performance of their progenies. The females should be selected on the basis of their own growth, reproductive and productive performance.
The low producing non-descript buffaloes nearly constituting about sixty-seven percent (2/3 rd ) of the total buffalo population can be improved through grading up using genetically superior progeny tested bulls of pure-bred improver breeds of buffaloes.
i. Murrah: The breeding tract of Murrah breed is Rohtak, Hisar and Jind districts of Haryana state and Nabha and Patiala districts of Punjab state. The breed characteristics are massive body, neck and head comparatively long, horns short and tightly curved, udder well developed, hips broad, and drooping fore and hindquarters. The tail is long reaching up to the fetlocks. The colour is usually jet black with white switch of tail. The bullocks are good draft animals though slow but powerful. The average milk yield per lactation is 1,500 to 2,500 kg. The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months in villages but in good herds it is 36 to 40 months. The intercalving period is 450 to 500 days. The milk fat and SNF percentages are 7.0 and 9.5 respectively.
ii. Bhadawari: This breed is found in Bhadawar Tehsil in Agra district and Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh. The animals have wedge shape body and are of medium size. The head is comparatively small,the legs are short and stout, the hooves are black, and the hindquarters are uniform and higher than the forequarters. The tail is long, thin and flexible with black and white or pure white markings reaching up to fetlock. The body is usually light or copper coloured which is peculiar‘ to this breed. The bullocks are reputed as good draft animals with heat tolerance. The ears are horizontal and medium in size. The age at first calving is around 50-55 months. The average milk production is 800 to 1,000 kg in a lactation period of 275-300 days. The average calving interval is 480 days (390-600 days). The breed is well known for its higher percent fat content in milk ranging from 6.5 to 12.5 per cent.
iii. Jaffarabadi: The breeding tract of this breed is Junagarh, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts of Gujarat State. This is the heaviest breed of buffaloes. The body is long and massive. The dewlap in females is somewhat loose and the udder is well developed. The head and neck are massive. The forehead is very prominent, broad and convex. The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each side of the neck and then turning up at points, but less tightly curved than in the case of the Murrah breed. The colour is usually black. The average milk yield is around 1800 kg (1400– 2300 kg) in a lactation period of 300 – 315 days. These animals are mostly maintained by traditional breeders called Maldharis, who are nomads. The bullocks are heavy and are used for ploughing and carting. The age at first calving is around 50-55 months and calving interval is 450 days. The average fat percentage is around 6.5 – 7.5.
iv. Surti: The breeding tract of this breed is Kaira, Bharuch, Vadodara and Surat districts of Gujarat. The body is well proportioned and medium sized. The barrel is wedge shaped. The head is long. The back is straight. The eyes are prominent.The horns are sickle shaped, moderately long and flat. The tail is fairly long. The colour is black or brown. The peculiarity of the breed is that there are two white bands, one round the jaw and the other at the brisket. The bullocks are good for light work. The milk yield ranges from 900 to 1300 kg. The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months with an intercalving period of 400 to 500 days. The Surti buffaloes have high fat percentage in milk (7.5 to 8.5 per cent).
v. Mehsana: The breeding tract of this breed is Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat state. This is considered to have been evolved out of crossbreeding between the Surti and the Murrah. The body is longer than in Murrah and the limbs lighter. The head is longer and heavier. The horns usually are less curved at the end compared to Murrah breed but are longer and could be of irregular shape. The udder is well shaped. The horns usually are less curved at the end as compared to Murrah breed but are longer and could be of irregular shape.The udder is well shaped. The colour is usually black to grey, with white markings often on face, legs or tail-tips. The bullocks are good for heavy work but rather slow. The age at first calving is around 42-48 months. The milk yield is 1,400 to 1800 kg in a lactation period of 290- 310 days. The intercalving period ranges between 450 and 550 days. The milk fat averages around 7.0 to 8.0 per cent.
vi. Nagpuri: The breeding tract of this breed is Nagpur, Akola and Amravati districts of Maharashtra. This is also called as Ellichpuri or Barari. The horns are long, flat and curved, bending backwards on each side of the back almost to shoulders. The face is long and thin. The neck is somewhat long, the limbs are light.The tail is comparatively short reaching a little below hocks. The bullocks are good for heavy trotting work but slow in movement. The milk yield is 700 to 1,200 kg per lactation. The age at first calving is 45 to 50 months and intercalving period is 450 to 550 days. The milk fat averages around 7.0 to 8.5 per cent.
vii. Nili-Ravi: The breed is found along with the Basins of Sutlej River in Ferozepur and of Ravi River in Amritsar districts of Punjab state and in adjoining areas of Pakistan. The head is elongate, bulging at the top and depressed between the eyes.The frame is medium sized. The peculiarity of the breed is the wall eyes. The horns are small and coiled tightly. The neck is long, thin and fine. The naval is very small.The udder is well developed. Usually the colour is black with white markings on forehead, face, muzzle, tail and legs (Panch Kalyani). The bullocks are good for heavy trotting work. The milk yield is 1700 to 2100 kg per lactation. The intercalving period is 500 to 550 days. The age at first calving is 42 to 48 months. The milkfat averages around 6.5 to 8.0 per cent.
Breed Improvement in Buffaloes
The genetic improvement in the buffaloes for improving milk production should be brought through selective breeding. The young male calves (future breeding bulls) with better growth, true breed confirmation and reproductive characteristics can initially be selected as superior progenies of elite dams with best lactation milk yield more than 2500 kg. The young bulls subsequently are evaluated on the basis of performance of their progenies. The females should be selected on the basis of their own growth, reproductive and productive performance.
The low producing non-descript buffaloes nearly constituting about sixty-seven percent (2/3 rd ) of the total buffalo population can be improved through grading up using genetically superior progeny tested bulls of pure-bred improver breeds of buffaloes.
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