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Performance evaluation, conservation and improvement of Sahiwal cattle in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

B.K. Joshi ,
A. Singh  and
R.S. Gandhi
B.K. Joshi*
Affiliation:
Dairy Cattle Breeding Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001, India
A. Singh
Affiliation:
Dairy Cattle Breeding Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001, India
R.S. Gandhi
Affiliation:
Dairy Cattle Breeding Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001, India
*
1 Corresponding author
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Summary

The Sahiwal cattle, one of the best dairy breeds of Zebu cattle in India and Pakistan, originate from the Montgomery district of Pakistan and is distributed on farmer herds in certain pockets of the bordering districts of Punjab and Rajsthan in India. The animals of this breed are also available in Kenya and are used for crossing with local East African Zebu types to improve milk production. Sahiwal cattle have deep body, loose skin, short legs, stumpy horns and a broad head with pale red to dark brown body colour. The average body weight in adult females and males is around 350 and 500 kg, respectively. The animals of this breed are maintained on various State and Central Government farms, privately owned farms, charitable trusts and a small proportion of animals are also available with the farmers. More than 1 200 breedable females are available at various farms in the country. The average lactation milk yield of Sahiwal cattle on organized farms ranges between 1 500 to 2 500 kg. However, in well-managed herds, the highest lactation milk production in certain cows is more than 4 500 kg. The overall weighted average milk yield, age at first calving, lactation length and calving interval based on the performance at various herds is around 1 900 kg, 36 months, 315 days and 420 days, respectively. The fat and Solid Non Fat (SNF) percent ranges from 4.6 to 5.2 percent and 8.9 to 9.3 percent, respectively. Quite a large proportion of pure-bred Sahiwal cattle maintained on organized breeding farms has been used for the production of cross-bred cattle. As a result, different cross-bred strains of dairy cattle viz Karan Swiss, Karan Fries and Frieswal have evolved at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal and Military Dairy Farms. The breed has also been utilized for the production of synthetic strains like Jamaica Hope (JH), Australian Milking Zebu (AMZ) and Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS) in other countries. Currently, efforts are being made to characterize, evaluate and conserve the breed in field conditions. More than 0.10 million doses of frozen semen of this breed are cryopreserved at various semen banks in the country. The frozen semen is being utilized for strengthening and genetically improving the existing herds of the breed through progeny testing programmes of sires associating various herds of Sahiwal in the country.

Resumen

La Sahiwal es una de las mejores razas zebú de leche en la India y Pakistan, originarias del distrito de Montgomery en Pakistan, se encuentran distribuidas por rebaños pequeños en algunas zonas limitadas de los distritos fronterizos de Punjab y Rajsthan en la India. Estos animales se encuentran también en Kenya y vienen utilizados para cruces con tipos locales de zebú del Africa del Este, con el fin de mejorar la producción de leche. La raza Sahiwal posee un cuerpo fuerte, poco pelo, patas cortas, cuernos cortos y una cabeza ancha y el color va del rojo claro al marrón oscuro. El peso medio corporal de las hembras y los machos adultos es de 350 y 500 kg, respectivamente. Los animales pertenecientes a esta raza se crian en centros estatales o regionales, en ganaderías privadas, centros de apoyo voluntario y también una pequeña cantidad de ellos se puede encontrar en pequeñas granjas privadas. Hay a disposición más de 1 200 hembras para cruces. La media del rendimiento por lactación de la raza Sahiwal en granjas organizadas es de 1 500 a 2 500 kg. Sin embargo, en rebaños muy bien conducidos, se alcanza con algunas hembras una producción lechera de más de 4 500 kg. Basándonos en los rendimientos de varios rebaños se puede decir que la media total de rendimiento por lactación es de 1 900 kg, la edad al primer parto de 36 meses, la duración de la lactación es de 315 días y el intervalo entre partos de 420 días. El porcentaje de grasa y SNF va de 4,6 a 5,2 y de 8,9 a 9,3, respectivamente. Una amplia proporción de pura raza Sahiwal conservada en granjas organizadas ha sido utilizada para producción de cruces. Como resultado de todo ello, distintas líneas de cruces especializadas en producción lechera, tales como Karan Swiss, Karan Fries y Frieswal, han sido mantenidas en el Instituto Nacional de Investigación Lechera, en Karnal y en Granjas Lecheras Militares. La raza ha sido también utilizada en otros países para la producción de líneas sintéticas tales como Jamaica Hope (JH), Austalian Milking Zebu (AMZ) y Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS). Recientemente, se han llevado a cabo esfuerzos para caracterizar, evaluar y conservar la raza en condiciones de campo. Más de 0,10 millones de dosis de semen congelado de esta raza han sido crioreservados en distintos bancos de semen en el país. El semen congelado se utilizará para reforzar y genéticamente mejorar los rebaños existentes a través de programas de test de progenie de machos de raza Sahiwal en distintos rebaños del país.

Keywords

ConservationSahiwalGenetic gainBreed improvementEvaluation
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 31 , April 2001 , pp. 43 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2001

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