Reports from the last few years say that there are about 300 million cows in India. India has a wide variety of cows in terms of their breeds, where they live, and how much milk they give. Breeds of cows are put into three groups based on what they can be used for, such as dairy cows for milking, drought cows, and dual-purpose cows.
The main reason people raise cows is to get milk. Since farm work is now done by machines and rural transportation is done by cars, draught cattle farming is no longer a good option. But the different genetic traits and benefits of each breed of cattle make it practical to domesticate each breed. The following are some of the most important kinds of cows in India.
Gir
Gir was born in the Gir forests and the Gujarat districts around them. This is a well-known breed of dairy cow. The cows are strong and mostly white, with a few red spots here and there. They make a lot of milk—between 1,500 and 3,000 kg per lactation. This breed has been used a lot to make hybrids, and it has been sent to many different countries for that purpose. These cows have calm personalities and are easy to care for and keep as pets. Gir cows are some of the best in India.
Sindhi
The Sindh province of Pakistan is where the zebu breed of cattle came from. Sindhi is a common domestic cow breed popular across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other countries. This breed can handle heat, ticks, sickness, and drought. This is another type of Indian cow that is used in Europe and other places to raise crossbred cows.
Ongole
The Ongole breed comes from Andhra Pradesh and is a popular dairy breed in India. It makes a lot of milk. The milk from this breed is prized because it has a lot of fat in it.
Rathi is a type of cow that is well known in India. This breed comes from the area where Rajasthan and Punjab meet. All over their brown bodies, these cows have white spots. The cows' coats can also be a full brown or even black. This type of cow can do more than one thing.
Tharparkar
This breed of Indian cow is from the parts of Rajasthan near the Thar Desert that serve more than one purpose. They are white or gray, but the shade changes. This breed is known for not getting sick easily.
Umblachery
This is a type of cattle that comes from the Tamil Nadu region of Thanjavur. Some other names for this breed are "Mottai Madu" and "Mollai Madu." These cows are small and light, and they were mostly raised to work in the rice fields of the plains.
Vechur
This is a type of dwarf cow that comes from the southern part of Kerala. Its name comes from the village of Vechoor, which is near Kottayam in Kerala. The Guinness Book of World Records says that this cow is the smallest cow in the world. This type of Indian cow is in high demand these days because its milk is used to make medicines.
Malnad Gidda
This breed comes from Karnataka and is also a dwarf cow. It is similar to the Vechur breed. This breed of cow is a popular one in the hilly areas of Karnataka because it gives good milk and is easy to care for.
Amrit Mahal
This breed of cattle is from the old Karnataka province of Mysore. During wars, the kings mostly used them to carry weapons. People know the bulls for how fast and strong they are.
Bargur
The Bargur woodland region near Erode, Tamil Nadu, is where this breed originated. They have brown bodies with white spots all over. They are used to living in the forests of the Western Ghats and are best known for their speed, endurance, and ability to trot.
Hallikar
This is one of the best breeds of draft cows in India. It comes from Karnataka. In the past, bulls were used in cart races because they could run for a long time. These kinds of Indian cows are good at surviving in dry areas, so they are often kept as pets in those places.
Kankrej
This breed comes from the Banaskantha area of Gujarat and has a strong body and big horns. This breed has many names, including Nagar, Bannai, Talabda, Wagad, Vaghiyar, Waged, Wadhiar, Vadhiyar, Wadhir, and Wadial. This type of cow gives out an average amount of milk.
