Breeds and Breeding of Large Ruminants

2. After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Identify the different breeds of cattle and water
buffaloes based on their description and
characteristics.
Select the appropriate cattle or buffalo according to
farming objectives.

3. This chapter covers the
different breeds of cattle and
water buffaloes. It discusses
their physical features,
characteristics, and breed
description. Large ruminants
include cattle (cow) and water
buffaloes. Ruminants are
herbivorous animals that
"chew the cud" or eat
regurgitated partially digested
food.

4. Examples of ruminants
are cows, goats, sheep,
camels, llamas, and
alpacas. In the
Philippines, the
commercial production of
large ruminants is less
popular than commercial
swine production.

5. However, there is a big
demand for beef (cow's meat)
and milk in the country. Thus,
the country imports most of
the supply of beef and milk
from New Zealand, US, and
Australia, among other
countries. It is also worthy to
note that many countries that
have a big beef and cattle
industry employ a large
number of Filipino workers.

6. Different types of business operations are involved in
breeding and raising cattle. Some examples of cattle
operations are cow and calf production, backgrounding
feeder calves, and feedlot.
A cow and calf producer raises a herd of cows to
produce calves. A person engaged in backgrounding
feeder calves obtains weaned calves and raises them
until they reach 800 to 900 pounds (362.87 kilograms
to 408.233 kilograms). Lastly, a feedlot operator buys
weaned calves or backgrounded calves and raises them
to market weight.

7. The word "cow" is the layman's term for
cattle. The adult female cattle is also called a
cow; its male counterpart is called a bull.
Meanwhile, a heifer is called a young cow,
which is less than three years old and has not
yet borne a calf, a young cattle of both sexes.
A calf's meat is called veal.

8. dairy farm - a farm
that produces milk
and may also produce
milk products, such
as butter and cheese

9. draft animal - a
strong domesticated
animal used for
heavy labor, such as
pulling heavy loads
and plowing the
farm

10. There are different breeds of cattle. Selecting the
type of cattle that you want to raise depends on
the purpose of your farm or business. It can be for
the production of meat, milk, or as a draft animal.
This section is divided into three parts: breeds for
meat production; breeds for production of milk and
dairy products; and dual purpose cattles (for milk
and meat production).

11. Like swine, cattle can be divided into
two groups: maternal breeds and
terminal breeds. Maternal breeds excel
in milk production and mothering
ability. Terminal breeds have excellent
growth and meat.
However, there are also several breeds
considered as dual purpose breeds.
These breeds have superior muscling
for meat production and excellent
mothering abilities.

12. A cattle farmer or entrepreneur can select the right
breed of cattle for his or her business by making
sure that the characteristics or traits of the cattle
are in line with the type of business he or she is
planning to start. For example, if an entrepreneur
wants to start a dairy farm, then he or she should
choose maternal breeds, which are known for their
milk production ability.

14. Ongole or Nellore - This cattle
is often colored white. However,
its neck and hump are dark
gray. The mature female ongole
or nellore weighs 420 to 625 kg
and the mature male weights
730 to 834 kg.

15. Santa Gertrudis - The Santa
Gertrudis has a red to cherry red
color. It has a loose hide and its
skin folds on the sheath or navel
flap and neck. In areas with
warm climates, its hair is
straight and short. Both the
male and female Santa
Gertrudis are often horned. The
female Santa Gertrudis weighs
563 to 670 kg while the male
weighs 750 to 1000 kg.

16.  Bali or Banteng - The Bali or
Banteng has a brown color; for
adult males, the brown color
changes to black when they become
adults. This breed is known for its
neat, compact, and deep body, and
well- developed forequarters. It
also has a medium-sized horn,
which is slightly backward and
curved up. The female Bali has a
small udder with no distinct
dewlap. The mature Bali or
Banteng weighs 350 to 375 kg and
the female Bali averages 210 kg.

17.  Brahman - The Brahman is known
for its high tolerance to heat and
strong resistance to insects and
diseases. The color of the Brahman
varies: from gray to white, black
with occasional spots, brown, to
red. The Brahman has a long face,
drooping ears, prominent hump
over its shoulders, and loose skin
under its throat. The mature
female Brahman weighs 454 to
635 kg while the mature male
weighs 726 to 998 kg.

18. Holstein Friesian - The Holstein
Friesian is the largest dairy
breed of cattle. The mature
female Holstein Friesian weighs
568 kg and its average production
of milk is 22 kg per day. The
mature male weighs 818 kg. The
Holstein Friesian is docile, quiet,
and ruggedly built; the female
ones have large udders. This
breed has a skin color
combination of black and white,
which could vary from spotted
white to all black.

19. Brown Swiss - The
Brown Swiss, quiet,
docile, and rugged in
nature, is a good
producer of milk. Its
average milk production
is 17 kg per day. The
mature female Brown
Swiss weighs 591 kg and
the mature male weighs
909 kg.

20.  Philippine Native Cattle - The
Philippine Native Cattle has four
varieties: Batanes Black, Batangas
Cattle, Ilocos Cattle, and Iloilo Cattle.
This breed is commonly used for
draught work and beef and milk
production. Mature native cows weigh
appproximately 300 kg while mature
bulls weigh approximately 400 kg.
Often, the female native cattle is
humpless while the male has a low
hump. The color of this breed varies
from grey to brown to fawn, sometimes
with white spots.

21. Sahiwal - The Sahiwal has a
reddish brown color. This breed
has a heavily symmetrical body,
followed by a short and lean
neck and a large and heavy
dewlap. The female Sahiwal
weighs approximately 370 kg
and can have an average milk
production of 8 kg per day. The
mature male Sahiwal weighs
approximately 540 kg.

22. Tharparkar - The
Tharparkar can either have
a white or gray color,
accompanied by a light gray
color along its backbone.
The marure female
Tharparkar can weigh 385
kg and produce an average
6 kg of milk daily. The
mature male can weight 540
kg.

23. Red Sindhi - The Red
Sindhi has a red or dark-
red color. The mature
female Red Sindhi can
weigh 310 kg and
produce an average of 6
kg of milk daily. The
mature male can weigh
415 kg.

24. There are two types of cattle. The Bos taurus, the
common domestic cattle of European origin, is
domesticated mainly to produce large quantities of
milk, but it can also provide meat, leather, and
other products, and be used as a draft animal. The
Bos indicus or zebu cattle is domesticated to
produce beef.

25. Bos taurus Bos indicus

26.  Water buffaloes are mostly found in Asian countries and other
countries, such as Australia, Egypt, Italy, and Turkey. Aside from
plowing the farm and transporting agricultural products, water
buffaloes are also excellent sources of meat, milk, and leather. In
Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, water buffaloes are
the chief draft animal for farm cultivation because these animals
are very suitable for paddy culture and they are able to consume
coarse fodder and roughage that other livestock could not eat. On
the one hand, when water buffaloes reach maturity, they are often
used as draft animals for five to six years; when they are already
too old, they are slaughtered and sold for their meat. On the other
hand, water buffaloes are also used in producing milk and other
dairy products.

27. Water buffaloes have two types: river water
buffaloes and swamp water buffaloes. The swamp
buffalo is used for farm work, such as the
Philippine carabao. Farm work does not only
include plowing of the fields but also hauling and
transporting of any farm produce. The river
buffalo is used for milk production, such as the
Murrah buffalo of India. A crossbreed of the
carabao and Murrah is called locally as "mestizo,"
which produces more milk than the Murrah and
has the working ability of the carabao.

29. fodder - food
given to
buffaloes, cows,
and other farm
animals

30. The prefix "cara" was introduced by the
late Dr. Valente Villegas to denote the
sex, class, and meat of carabao, and was
approved for adoption by the Philippine
Society of Animal Science.

31.  Carabao - The Philippine carabao is
wide, low, and heavily built, making it
an excellent draught or draft animal.
The carabao is slate gray and light
gray in color. The average weight of a
mature male carabao is approximately
500 kg. The mature female carabao
weighs approximately 425 kg and can
produce 1.45 kg to .64 kg of milk daily.
A carabao's milk has high fat content,
making it more palatable than a cow's
milk.

32. Thai Buffalo - This buffalo,
which originated in Thailand, is
strong, broad bodied, and has
prominent muscles in the neck
chest and back. It is black in
color and has large strong horns.
The average weight of a male
Thai buffalo is 540 kg. The
female Thai buffalo can weigh
400 kg and produce an average
0.8 to 1 kg of milk daily.

33.  Murrah - This buffalo, which
originated in India, is jet black with
white markings in the tail. It has a
soft and fine skin texture while its
horns are curved tightly and spirally.
The Murrah has a massive and stocky
built. It has a light neck and head,
short limbs, brood hips, and drooping
quarter. The male Murrah has an
average weight of 625 kg. The female
Murrah has an average weight of 525
kg and can produce 5 kg to 7 kg of
milk daily, The udder and tears (long,
black, and stout) of the female
Murrah are well developed

34.  Surti - The Surti, which also
originated in India, has a brown
or black color. It's skin is black or
reddish, while its hair is gray to
rusty brown. The Surti M bull's
front is more developed and its
hind portion is narrow. The
mature male Surti has an average
weight of 499 kg. The mature
female Surti weighs an average of
408 kg and can produce 5 kg to 6
kg of milk daily.

35.  Pandharpuri - This breed originated
from Maharashtra, India. The
Pandharpuri varies in body color: from
light black to deep black. It has a long
narrow face with prominent straight
nasal bone. As a medium-sized animal,
it has a narrow frontal bone and long
compact body. It has very long horns
that extend beyond the shoulder
blades. It has an average body weight
of 450 to 470 kg. The female
Pandharpuri is known for its excellent
reproductive ability. It can produce a
calf every 12 months, and yield 6 to 7
liters of milk daily under average farm
management conditions and hot and
dry climate. However, it can produce 15
liters of milk daily under good farm
management.

36. The mature female carabao is called a
caracow; carabull, a male mature
carabao; caraheifer, a young female
carabao under two years of age and has
not yet given birth; caracalf, a young
carabao of both sexes. A carabao's meat
is called carabeef.

37. This lesson discusses how to select breeder stocks based on
the animal’s physical appearance and breeding abilities.
In putting up a good farm, you have to choose a suitable
location of the farm, provide houses for the animals, create
an excellent forage garden, hire industrious caretakers,
and choose the best animals as your stocks. Only animals
of good quality should be kept in the farm, whether you
are engaged in production or breeding. Only good quality
stocks could produce excellent meat and milk as well as
excellent offsprings.

38. Nowadays, the presence of different diseases infecting
animals contributes to low farm performance. Many farms
end up using various supplements and medications to
combat such diseases; thus, costing them a lot. Instead of
using expensive treatments or medications, you can choose
animals which are naturally resistant to certain diseases;
animals with strong immune systems; animals without
physical abnormalities. You can achieve all these things by
properly selecting your stocks. The proper selection of your
animal stocks leads to good farm production and high
profit.

39. pedigree - a record of the ancestry of
an animal, especially when its
ancestry is impressive or good

40. Cows are most productive from
four to eight years of age.

41. Selection of stocks based from physical
appearance or quality is done by closely
observing the physical characteristics of the
animal. Here are the things that you should
consider in selecting animals based on their
physical qualities.

43. According to the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), a cow
"should have a mild maternal face with bright and alert eyes, good
disposition, and quiet temperament."
The coat of the animal should be free from mange and external
parasites. The cow's udder should have a good size and shape,
"which is well carried forward and up behind. The udder is also
soft, flexible, and spongy to touch" (bar.gov.ph). This characteristic
of the udder, BAR states, makes the cow secrete more milk
compared to a flesh-like and hard udder. The cow should also have
wide hind quarters and prominent and well-developed vulva.

44. Puberty in cow varies depending on the breed
of the animal and level of nutrition, among
other factors. There are breeds of cows that,
if given a high plane of nutrition, start to
breed at two years of age. Generally, however,
cows start to calve at three years of age and
remain productive for 13 years.

45. Consider the pedigree of the animal
because the best animals often come
from excellent parents. Heifers from
herds that regularly produce
outstanding calves are the best choice for
foundation stock.

46. An ideal cow should have a rectangular frame. A
cow should have a medium width between the
thurls and pins in order to have the needed frame
"on which to hang the profitable beef," according to
BAR. The cow's rump should also be long and
smooth. The cow should weigh an average of 408
kg and produce 5 kg to 6 kg of milk daily.

48. Select bulls with good barrel or middle. A good middle or
barrel indicates a well-developed digestive system and
healthy vital organs such as the beart and lungs.
Bulls with a good physical constitution exhibit the
following qualities: broad muzzle, full heart girth,
muscular cheeks, large nostrils and jaw, full loin, and well-
rounded thighs. Bulls should also be muscular and have
strong legs so they can carry their own weight, easily mate
with cows that are in heat, and look for food. Well-built
legs also ensure that bulls successfully mate with cows.

49. Bulls should have well-developed sex organs,
indicating virility. Thus, bulls should have
fully descended testicles, deep wide chest,
and broad head.

50. Bulls can be used for breeding when they
reach 18 months of age or when they
weigh 250 to 280 kg.

52. A two-year old steer or older is more
advantageous to use as a because they
become fat easily over a short period of time,
than a calf o fartener yearling.

53. According to the BAR, "an active yet mild, quiet,
and easily-handled usually grows fast and fartens
easily." Avoid selecting cattle with a nervous, and
erratic behavior because they "waste too much
energy when they panic at the slightest
provocation," BAR states. steer restless.

54. Animals with a healthy constitution and
vigor should have the following
characteristics: strong appetite; large feeding
capacity; wide, deep, and full chest; well-
sprung ribs, and large heart girth.

55. Young bulls gain weight faster than steers while
requiring 22% less feed to produce a kilogram of
weight. Bulls also produce leaner carcass which is
nearly the same as that of steers. Steers gain
approximately 10% more weight while requiring
only 10% to 15% less feed than heifers.

56. Select healthy animals with the
following characteristics: active, have
bright eyes, moist muzzle, and soft and
smooth hair coat. Do not select animals
with physical defects.

57. Large ruminants include cattle and water buffaloes.
Ruminants are herbivorous animals that "chew the cud" or
eat regurgitated partially digested food.
Selecting the type of cattle that you want to raise depends
on the purpose of your farmor business.
Examples of cattle for meat production are Ongole or
Nellore, Santa Gertrudis, and Bali or Banteng.
Examples of cattle for milk or dairy production are
Brahman, Holstein Friesian, and Brown Swiss: Examples
of dual purpose cattle are the Phillipine Native Cattle,
Sahiwal, Tharparkar, and Red Sindhi.

58. Aside from being used for plowing the farm and
transporting agricultural products, water buffaloes are
also excellent sources of meat, milk, and leather.
In Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines,
water buffaloes are the chief draft animal for farm
cultivation Water buffaloes have two types: river water
buffaloes and swamp water buffaloes. The swamp
buffalo is used for farm work, such as the Philippine
carabao. The river buffalo is used for milk production,
such as the Murrah buffalo of India.

59. Examples of swamp type buffaloes are the Philippine
carabao and Thail buffalo.
Examples of river type buffaloes are Murrah and Surti.
Selection of stocks based from physical appearance or
quality is done by closely observing the physical
characteristics of the animal.
In selecting cows and heifers for breeding, consider the
following factors:
milking ability and femininity
age
breeding ability and ancestry
types and conformation

60. In selecting bulls, consider the
following factors:
physical appearance
sex character
age

61. In selecting fatteners, consider the following
factors:
age
disposition
constitution and vigor
carcass
health