AS 101 Animal husbandry and production

1. Zebu is the specie that belong to the Kingdom - Animalia, Phylum -
Chordata, Class - Mammalia, Order - Artiodactyla, Family - Bovinae,
Class – Bos, and Specie - indicus . Zebu are the species that is native in
SSouthern Asia, and is the only cattle specie that can easily adopt life in
the hot tropics. Also Zebu are known as Humped Cattle as the Zebu has
a distinctive hump on its upper back, located behind the head and neck.
The following are the distinctive features that enables Zebu to adopt well in the
tropical conditions:-
i. They have got a small size.
Zebu are the smallest specie of cattle in the world, with adult Zebus
reaching a height of just over meter. Also Zebus has the half weight

2. of the typical cow. Due to small size, they require fewer resources
for survive and because of slower metabolism means they can go
longer period.
ii. They have got parasite and diseases resistant properties.
Zebus skin is thin and has got short straight hair which are less
attractive. So, they have favorable conditions for the ticks to stay on
them therefore are less affected by cattle ticks.
iii. They have low metabolic rate.
Due to low metabolic rate, Zebus tends to produce small amount of
heat in their physiological processes which help in balancing heat
equation.
iv. They have a triangular body shapes.
Triangular body shape, provide a more suitable surface of reflecting
heat and evaporation of sweat from the skin.
v. Physiological – Anatomy
The higher density of sweat glands and the great perimeter lead to a
higher sweat rate and low resistance f coverage by lower density
and length of hair to heat loss.
vi. They have high working temperature.
Zebus can withstand a temperature in the range of 15o
C – 30o
C, also
the milk yield, lactose content and Nitrogen content do not drop
until ambient temperatures reach or exceed 35o
C.
vii. They have a large hump that stores fat.
In the hump of Zebus, there is a storage of fat which can sometimes
used in the absence of food. Also in the tropics region, Zebus are
used for as the method of transport and used for farming. So the
humps, prevents the goods from rolling back and the plough from
rolling backwards.