Philippine Native Cattle Breed

CattlePhilippinesZebu


Philippine cattle are the indigenous cattle breed found throughout the Philippines. It is a small breed with mature bulls weighing about 400 kg and mature cows weighing about 300 kg. The colour ranges from grey to brown to fawn, with white spotting on some animals. The females are humpless, while males have a low hump. The breed is used for draught work and milk and beef production, although Carabao is often preferred for draught work.

Four breed types have been recognized:

  1. The Ilocos in northwestern Luzon
  2. Batangas in southwestern Luzon
  3. Iloilo on Panay island, and
  4. Batanes Black on the Batanes Islands between Luzon and Taiwan.


The genetic background of Philippine Cattle Breed includes the Banteng, humpless Chinese Yellow cattle, and Iberian cattle coming from both Mexico and Spain. This hybrid background might explain the high fertility of the breed.

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