Exotic and Indoginous breeds:
Exotic Breeds
- Holstein
- jersey
- Guernsey
- Brown Swiss
- Ayrshire
Names of Indoginous breeds
- Sahiwal
- Red Sindhi
- Tharparkar
- Cholistani
- Dhanni
- Bhagnari
- Kankrej (also found in India, but present in Pakistan too)
- Lohani
- Rojhan
- Gabrali
Exotic Breeds
Holstein–Friesian:
Origin:
- Netherlands (specifically the provinces of North Holland and Friesland)
- Also widely developed in the USA, where the breed is known as Holstein.
Colour:
- Distinctive black and white or sometimes red and white markings.
Size & Weight:
- Male (Bull): Large 800–1200 kg
- Female (Cow): Large 580–700 kg
Milk Yield:
- 6,000–9,000 liters per lactation (can go up to 10,000+ under good management)
- Butter-fat: 4.0–4.5%, with high protein content.
- Lactation Length:
- 305 days (standard)
- Age at First Calving:
- 28–32 months
- Service Period:
- 60–90 days
- Dry Period:
- 60 days
Intresting facts:
- Holstein-Friesians are the most bountiful producers of milk of any of the dairy breeds.
- They have strong rugged constitutions and great capacity for consuming roughages and pasture.
- For producing large quantities of milk they are unsurpassed but certain markets demanding a high butterfat percentage.
- Holsteins are the largest breed of dairy cattle.
- World’s champion butterfat producer of all breeds is Carnation.
- Butter King 1331661. At the age of 8 years this Holstein cow produced 38,606.6 pounds of milk and 1,402.0 pounds of butterfat in 365 days on four milkings daily. She was bred and owned by the Carnation Milk Farms, Seattle, Washington.
Jersey breed
Origin:
- Jersey Island, United Kingdom (Channel Islands)
Colour:
- Light fawn to dark fawn; may have white patches.
- Muzzle is usually black with a white ring.
Size & Weight:
- Male (Bull): Medium-sized, around 540–820 kg
- Female (Cow): Smaller, around 350–500 kg
Milk Yield:
- 4,000–6,000 liters per lactation (can reach 7,000+ under optimal conditions)
- High butterfat content: 4.5–5.5%
- Lactation Length:
- 270–300 days
- Age at First Calving:
- 24–30 months (ideally by 24 months with good management).
- Service Period: (time between calving and next conception):
- 60–90 days
- Dry Period:(non-lactating before next calving):
- 60–70 days.
Intresting facts:
- Milk Is Richest in Butterfat:
- As a producer of butter the jersey has been famous for centuries.
- Jersey milk has an average butterfat content of 5.35 percent which is higher than that of any other dairy breed.
- Individuals whose milk consistently tests as much as 6 percent butterfat are not uncommon.
- Jersey milk has a yellow colour but is less golden than that of Guernseys.
- They are small and require less feed than the larger breeds.
- Guernseys have been widely used in conjunction with Holstein herds to raise both the fat content and the colour of the Holstein milk.
Brown swiss
Characteristics:
Origin:
- Switzerland, specifically the Swiss Alps.
- Colour:
- Light brown to greyish brown, with a creamy white muzzle and dark nose.
- Size & Weight:
- Male (Bull): Large, 900–1,200 kg
- Female (Cow): Large, 600–700 kg
Milk Yield:
- 6,000–9,000 liters per lactation (can go up to 10,000+ under good management)
- Butter-fat: 4.0–4.5%, with high protein content
- Lactation Length:
- 305 days (standard)
- Age at First Calving:
- 28–32 months
- Service Period:
- 60–90 days
- Dry Period:
- 60 days
Intresting facts:
- Brown Swiss cows are excellent producers of milk. The world record for the breed, for both
- milk and butterfat, is held by Illini Nellie (page 14), owned by the University of Illinois until her death in 1940.
- The milk is white, and the fat globules are of medium size.
- average test is 4 percent of butterfat in a year.
- Under average farm conditions a herd
- of purebred or good-quality grades would be expected to yield an average of at least 8,000 pounds of milk and 320 pounds of butterfat.
- World’s record Brown Swiss cow for both milk and butterfat production,
- At 8 years and 6 months this cow produced 29,569.5
- pounds of milk and 1,200.41 pounds of butterfat in 365 days on three milking daily. She is shown here in her stall at the University of Illinois dairy
- barn where the record was made. Bred by Ira Inman, Beloit.
Ayrshire breed
characteristics:
Origin:
- Ayrshire, Southwest Scotland
- Developed in the 18th century and known for its adaptability and efficient milk production.
Colour:
- Red and white (shades of red vary from light to deep mahogany)
- Distinct markings no black is found.
Size & Weight:
- Male (Bull): Medium to large, 700–900 kg
- Female (Cow): Medium-sized, 450–600 kg
Milk Yield:
- 5,000–7,000 liters per lactation (can reach 8,000+ in intensive systems)
- Butter-fat: Around 4.0%,
- Protein: 3.3–3.5%
- Intresting facts:
- Under average farm conditions a herd of purebred or good-quality grade.
- Ayrshires should be expected yield an average of at least 8,000 pounds of milk a year containing 320 pounds of butterfat.
- In size the Ayrshires are medium.
- Mature bulls in good breeding condition should weight at least 1,650 pounds.
- A desirable weight for mature cows in good milking condition.
- Their lactation is about 1,150 pounds.
- World’s champion butterfat producer of all breeds for three milkings daily/
- World’s record Ayrshire for both milk and butterfat, Ardgowan Valda.
- Starting at 10 years and 7 months she produced 31,156 pounds
- Milk and 1,356 pounds of butterfat in 365 days. Breed by Hugh Shaw Stewart of Ardgowan, Inverkip, Scotland, and owned by F. C. Briggs and Sons, Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
Guernsey breed
- Origin: Isle of Guernsey Islands, UK)
- Colour: Light red or fawn with white patches
- Size & Weight: Medium size; cows: 450–550 kg, bulls: 650–750 kg.
- Milk Yield:
- Guernsey cows known for producing milk high in vitamins and protein yield around 6,500 liters per lactation.
- Lactation Length: Around 305 days
- Age at First Calving: About 24 months
- Dry Period: 60–70 days
- Service Period: 60–90 days
Intresting facts:
- Guernseys produce milk and butterfat having a higher colour than that of any other breed.
- Their milk flow is slightly greater than that of the jersey, but the milk is somewhat lower in fat content averaging 5 percent.
- She produced 24,008.0 pounds of milk and 1,098.2 pounds of butterfat at eight years, ten months of age on four milkings daily.
- Guernsey fawn varies from golden yellow to almost cherry.
- Guernseys are a happy-medium breed in many respects. They withstand cold weather better than Jerseys and endure hot humid surroundings better than Holsteins.
- They are better grazers than holsteins on rough poor pastures but are not so good as Jerseys.
