1.1: Distribution of Cattle Breeds of Tamil Nadu
Source: AE Nivsarkar et al., (2000), Animal Genetic Resources of India, Cattle and Buffalo, ICAR publication. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries , Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.
| BREEDS | BREEDING TRACK | UTILITY | DISTRIBUTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangayam | Erode district | Draught Breed | Erode District, parts of Coimbatore, Dindigul, Karur, Kancheepuram, Pudukkottai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu |
| Bargur | Bhavani Taluka of Erode district | Draught Breed | Erode and Kancheepuram districts |
| Umblacherry | Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts | Draught Breed | Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Pudukkottai districts |
Kangayam Cattle
The Kangeyam cattle derives its name from the Kangeyam town located in Tiruppur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This cattle breed is also known locally as KonguMaadu. The name Kangayam was derived from Emperor Kangayan of Kongu Nadu.
Kangeyam is a popular and well-known cattle breed from Tamil Nadu, known for its sturdiness. Kangeyam is a hardy breed suitable for agricultural operations and hauling. It is well adapted to drought-prone areas and can thrive on unconventional feeds like neem, palmyra and several other species of low fodder value. It is disease resistant and has low body mass index, low metabolic rate and low water requiring has capacity to withstand heat and humidity stress and resilience capacities. Some of these qualities make it a suitable candidate for adapting to climate change. It can be found also in Indonesia, and Niger, but mostly brought there by travelling Mexicans during the Napoleonic Era.
It is an indigenous breed of India. The animals are medium built-in general and are considered a good draught breed in South India. Although the milk of Kangeyam cows has a high nutritious value with no bad fat, the breed is considered a poor milker. However, in some cases, good milkers are also found, giving 5 to 6 litres during the peak milking period. The breed is on the wane, due to poor government support for indigenous breeds, although individual conservative efforts are bearing some fruit. This breed also can be used in Jallikattu owing to its aggressive nature.
Bargur Cattle
Bargur is a breed of cattle native to the Bargur forest hills in Anthiyur Taluk of Erode District in Western Tamil Nadu in India. The cattle are usually moderate and compact in build and have brown skin with white patches, though full white and brown complexions are sometimes found. They are known to be very aggressive and of fiery disposition, and hence difficult to train. Accustomed to forest hills of the rugged and inhospitable forests of the Western Ghats, they are best known for their endurance, speed and trotting ability. Their milk is thought to be of medicinal value. They have been usually reared in herds exclusively by the Kannada-speaking Lingayats of the Bargur region.
Bargur – cattle breed (Cow / Bull)
Umblacherry Cattle
The Umblachery is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It is distributed in the coastal plains of the districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Tiruvarur in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. It was bred for draught work, particularly in the rice paddies of the area.
The Umblachery of eastern and central Tamil Nadu is thought to have derived from cross-breeding of local cattle with animals of the Kangayam cattle breed of the same state. It is distributed in the coastal plains of the districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Tiruvarur. A census in 2000 found 283157 head. In 2007 its conservation status was reported by the FAO as “endangered”. In 2013 the breed population was reported to be between 39000 and 72000; in 2020 the conservation status reported to DAD-IS was “not at risk”
The Umblachery is a small breed, standing just over a metre at the withers. Cows are grey, with darker markings on the face and neck and the hindquarters; bulls are darker, and may have white markings such as white socks or a white star on the face. The horns are small in both sexes. Calves are born a reddish colour, which changes to grey within the first year of life.
Umblachery – cattle breed ( Cow/ Bull)
1.2: Distribution of Buffalo Breed of Tamil Nadu
| BREEDS | BREEDING TRACK | UTILITY | DISTRIBUTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toda | The Nilgiri hills | Draught | Dindigul, Erode, Thoothukkudi, Kancheepuram, Salem, Vellore, Namakkal, Theni and Tirunelveli districts |
Toda Buffalo
8. TODA
This Toda buffalo is named after an ancient tribe, Toda of Nilgiris Hills of south India and it is a semi-wild breed.
The predominant coat colours are fawn and ash-grey. The thick hair coat is found all over the body. They are gregarious. The body of Toda buffalo breeds is long and deep and the chest is deep. The legs are short and strong. The horns are set wide apart curving inward, outward and forward forming a characteristic crescent shape. The Crescent-shaped horns with a sharp tip and two chevron markings in the neck region are the distinguishable features of Toda buffaloes. The tail is long and slim extending beyond the hock joint and the switch is generally black.
Toda buffaloes are good milkers yielding from 4.4 to 8.8 litres of very rich milk. The average milk yield is 500 kg per lactation with a high-fat content of 8%.
Read More about : Toda buffalo breeds