Punganur cattle
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| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | India |
| Distribution | Chitoor District, Andhra Pradesh |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Coat | white, grey, brown, red, rarely black[3]: 94 |
| Horn status | small and crescent-shaped |
| |
The Punganur is an Indian breed of small zebuine cattle. It is found in the hill country of Chitoor District, in Andhra Pradesh in southern India, and is among the smallest of all zebu breeds.[4]: 275
History
[edit]The Punganur is a traditional breed of the Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. The breed name may derive from its association in the past with the Rajahs of Punganur, or from the name of the town itself.[2] It is reared mainly in hill country, at up to 1500 m above sea level.[4]: 275
It has in the past been an endangered breed. An attempt was made in the 1950s to form a government conservation herd, but without success.[4]: 275 Its conservation status was listed by the FAO as "critical" in 2007.[1]: 58 In 2016 there was a herd of no more than 30 head on a government farm.[4]: 275 In 2022 a population of 9876–13275 was reported to DAD-IS, and in 2024 the conservation status of the breed was listed as "not at risk".[2]
Characteristics
[edit]It is among the smallest of zebuine cattle breeds: bulls stand some 107 cm and weigh about 240 kg, cows average 97 cm in height and 170 kg in weight.[2] The coat may be white, grey, brown, red, or rarely black.[3]: 94 The horns are small and of crescent shape.[2]
Use
[edit]The cattle are used for draught power and for milk production.[2] Milk yields and milk composition are highly variable; on average, cows give 546 kg of milk in a lactation of 263 days, or approximately 2.07 kg per day, with an average fat content of 5%.[2]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Breed data sheet: Punganur / India (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2024.
- ^ a b Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2002). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types, and Varieties (fifth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 085199430X.
- ^ a b c d Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.