- The document summarizes various buffalo breeds found in India, including their origin, physical characteristics, production and reproductive traits. It discusses 10 major breeds - Murrah, Nili-Ravi, Jaffarabadi, Mehsana, Bhadawari, Surti, Banni, Tarai and others. The Murrah breed originates from Haryana and is known for high milk yields up to 1800kg. The Nili-Ravi has its home tract between the Sutluj and Ravi rivers. Breeds vary in coat color, horn shape, milk yields and fat/SNF percentages. Reproductive traits like calving interval also differ between breeds. India contributes over half of

1. Buffalo breeds of India
Buffalo-it is a multipurpose animal
providing rich milk ,meat ,draught
power and transport.

2. • FAO-180 millions in 40 countries.
• Of this 86 million present in India
• Contribute around 54% India and 12% worlds
total milk production.
• Out of 72.6 million tonnes (2003) 97%-Asia
• India and pakistan-92% of Asia's buffalo milk
production.

3. Taxonomical Classification
• Kingdom : Animalia
• Phylum : Chordata
• Class : Mammalia
• Order : Artiodactyls
• Suborder : Ruminentia
• Family : Bovidae
• Subfamily: Bovinae
• Genus : Bubalis
• Species : B.bubalus

4. Group Breeds
• Murrah Murrah, Nili-Ravi, banni
• Gujarat Jaffarabadi, Mehsana & Surti
• U.P. Bhadawari, Tarai
• Central India Jerangi, Kalahandi, Manda,
Nagapuri, Pandharpuri,Sambalpuri,
Marathwada.
• South India South Kanara, Toda, Godavari

5. Murrah

6. • ‘Murrah’ which means ‘curled’.
• These buffaloes were also named as ‘delhi’
referring to the center of their origin.

7. Origin & Breeding Tract
Haryana comprising the
districts of rohtak, Jind,
Hisar, Jhajhar,
Fatehabad, Gurgaon and
the Union Territory of
Delhi.
The breeding tract has relatively hot and
dry climate. Maximum temperature goes
as high as 45°C during summer. Minimum
temperature may reach near freezing
point in winter with frost for a few days

8. Physical Characteristics
• Body color-The color is jet black. Rarely white
markings on face and leg extremities may be
there, but are not preferred.

9. • Horns-Different from other breeds; short,
tight, turning backward and upward and
finally spirally curving inward. The horns
should be somewhat flattened. As the age
advances the horns get loosened slightly but
spiral curves increase.

10. • Tail-Long reaching upto fetlock joint with black
or white (max. 6 inches) switch.
• Body-Sound built, heavy and wedge shaped.
• Udder-Fully developed, drooping with equally
distributed teats over the udder.
• Teats-Teats are long, and places uniformly
wide apart but hind teats are longer than fore
teats.

11. Production Traits
• Lactation Milk Yield-
– Large herds have shown average yields as 1800 kg.
• Lactation Length-
– 320 days
• Peak Yield
– minimum peak yield of herds is more than 7 kg.

12. • Lifetime Milk Yield
– Buffaloes are not kept in the herd until their
natural death, so calculation of milk production
for whole life is not feasible in practice.
– Murrah buffaloes are known for their longevity
and persistent yield even in later lactations.

13. Reproduction Traits
• Average age at first calving is 1,319 days.
• Dry period averages are 187 days in the first
lactation and 154 days for overall lactations.
• Service period averages 177 days in first parity
and 136 days in overall parities.

14. • First calving interval varies from 455 to 632
days (averages 488 days), and overall calving
interval varies from 430 to 604 days (average
452 days).
• Number of service per conception varies from
1.75 to 2.159 average (1.93)

15. Nili-ravi

16. Origin and breeding tract
• The home tract of Nili-Ravi buffaloes range in the belt between the Sutluj and
Ravi rivers of the undivided Punjab Province.
• Actually Nili & Ravi were two different breeds long before, but due to the
passage of time and with intensive crossbreeding, the two breeds converted into
single breed named Nili-Ravi.
• Nili-Ravi buffaloes are found in almost all the districts, with major concentration
in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur districts of Indian Punjab and in Lahore,
Sheikhupura, Faizabad, Okora, Sahiwal, Multan, Bohawalpur and Bahwalnagar
districts of Pakistan Punjab.

17. Physical Characteristics
• Body color -The color is usually black but
brown is not uncommon.
• Horns-Horns are small, tightly curled but
slightly less curled as compared to that of
Murrah and circular in cross section.

18. • Marking-White markings are found on hind
legs, fore legs and white spots on forehead,
muzzle.
• Eye-They are usually walled eyes.

19. Production Traits
Traits Weighted Average Range in Different
Reports
Average lactation length (days) 306 262-319
Average lactation milk yield
(kg)
1945 1688-2317
Average daily milk yield (kg) 6.4 6.4-7.2
Peak milk yield (kg) 9.4 7.2-11.8
Average Fat% 6.9 6.6-7.2
Average SNF% 9.5 8.7-9.8

20. Reproduction Traits
• Service Period-
– It varied from 138 to 281 days.
• Dry Period –
– It varied from 98 to 202
• Calving Interval-
– It varied from 443 to 579 days.

21. Jaffarabadi

22. Origin & Breeding Tract
• Jaffarabadi is the heaviest of all the Indian
breeds of buffaloes.
• It is also called as Bhavnagri, Gir or Jaffari.
• The breed is named after the town of
Jaffarabad.

23. • The main native tract of Jaffarabadi buffalo is
Saurashtra region of Gujarat especially areas
in and around Gir forest viz., Junagarh,
Bhavanagar, Jamnaagar, Porbandhar, Amreli
and Rajkot districts.

24. Physical Characteristics
• Body colour-The usual colour of the animals is
black but few animals having grey colour or white
spotes on forehand, feet and tail switch are also
seen.
• Horns-The horns are inclined to droop on each
side of the neck and then turn up at the tips, the
curls being not as tight as in the Murrah breed.
The horns usually emerge out by compressing the
head, go downward sideways, upward and finally
forming a ring like structure.

25. • Head-The bone of forehead is wide and covers
the eyes partially to give characteristic “Sleepy
Eyes” appearance, especially in adult males.

26. Production traits
• First lactation 305 days or less yield (kg)
1642±283
• First lactation total yield (kg) 1642±283
• All lactation 305 days or less yield (kg)
1950±79
• All lactation total yield (kg) 2097±110
• All lactation length (days) 320.1±11.6
• Average fat (percent) 7.7±1.0

27. Reproductive traits
• Age at first calving (days) 1925±196
• Average dry period (days) 159.8±10.9
• Service period (days) 161.5±14.0
• Calving interval (days) 509.8±20.1
• Number of services per conception 1.4±0.1
• Average calf mortality (0-3 months) 10.75
percent

28. Mehasana

29. Origin & Breeding Tract
• Cross between surti & murrah.
• Concentrated between the Mahi and
Sabarmati rivers in Gujarat.

30. Physical Characteristics
• Characteristics are intermediate between Surti
and Murrah.
• Jet black skin and hair are preferred. Horns are
sickle-shaped but with more curve than the
Surti.
• The udder is well developed and well set.
• Milk veins are prominent.
• Depression in the middle of FH.

31. Production traits
• Lactation duration-305 days
• Milk yield-1800-2700 kg
• Milk fat 6.6-8.1 percent
• Milk protein 4.2-4.6 percent

32. Badawari
• Bhadawari buffaloes are recognized for high
fat content in their milk, which goes as high as
14 %.

33. Origin & Breeding Tract

34. • Bhadawari breeding tract are reported in Agra,
Etawah, Jaluan, Aurriya, Jhansi and Lalitpur
districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bhind and
Morena Districts of Madhya Pradesh

35. • The best breed of buffaloes in Uttar Pradesh
found in the districts of Agra and Etawah.
• Bhadawari Buffaloes are found in the ravines of
Yamuna and Chambal rivers spread over in the
states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• The Bhadawari breeding tract and home tract
was a part of the erstwhile Bhadawar estate from
where the name of these animals originated.

36. Physical Characteristics
• Body color-Bhadawari animals are usually
copper coloured with scanty hair.
• Body-Bhadawari animals are medium sized
with wedge-shaped bodies.
• Ears-Ears are of average size, rough and
pendulous.

37. Production Traits
Traits Mean±S.E
Average lactation length (days) 291.46±5.27
Average lactation milk yield (kg) 1231.93±27.65
Peak milk yield (kg) 6.93±0.09
Average Fat% 8.09%(range5.5 to 14%)
Average SNF% 10.90 %

38. • Average SNF and TS contents were 10.90 and
19.005 respectively, in Bhadawari buffaloes
which are comparatively higher than any
other breeds of buffalo.

39. Reproduction Traits
Age
Mean±S.E
Age at First Calving
(months)
51.3±1.55
Service Period(days) 113.3±21.7
Dry Period(days) 113.1±22.7
Calving Interval(days) 524.7±25.9

40. Surti

41. Origin & Breeding Tract
• The home tract of Surti buffaloes is in the
South western part of Gujarat. Best animals
are found in Anand, Nadiad, Kaira and Baroda
district.
• The animals are also commonly found in
South Rajasthan extending over to Udaipur,
Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh and
Dungarpur distts. in Rajasthan.

42. Physical Characteristics
• Body colour-Coat colour of Surti buffaloes
varies from rusty brown to silver grey .
• Horns-Horns are flat, of medium length, sickle
shaped and are directed downward and
backward, and then turn upward at the tip to
form a hook.

43. • Neck-Two or three white strips on the neck is
very typical character of the breed.
• Markings-White markings is found
on forehead, legs and switch of tail and these
characteristics preferred by farmers.

44. Production Traits
Traits Weighted Average
Average lactation length (days) 292±8.0 to 311±7.0
Average lactation milk yield
(kg)
1547±50 to 1745±60
Average daily milk yield (kg) 4.90 to 5.30
Average Fat% 7.85 to 8.10

45. Trait Mean
Age at first calving (days) 1305-1340
Dry period (days) 111-343
Service period (days) 193-236
Gestation period (days) 304
Calving interval (days) 461-581

46. Banni

47. Origin & Breeding Tract
•The breed is originated from the Banni area of
kachchh, which is a part of Kachchh district of
Gujarat.

48. • Purebred animals prevalent in Bhuj, Nakhatrana,
Anjar, Bhaahau, Lakhpat, Rapar and
Khavdatalukas, are heavily size with typical
double and vertical coiling of the horn.
• Banni buffaloes are trained to typical grazing on
banni grass land during night and come to the
villages in the morning for giving milk.
• This traditional system of buffalo rearing has
been adapted to avoid the heat stress and high
temperature of the day.

49. Physical Characteristics
• Body color-The body coat colour is black
(90.09%) and copper (9.90%), whereas muzzle
and eyelids are either black or brown.
• Horns-Horns orientation is vertical, inverted
double coiling in 31.20% and vertical, inverted
single coiling in 68.80% animals.
• Wide muzzle.
• Skin-black in colour but few animals are also
observed possessing copper/albino colour (6-7%).

50. Production Traits
Traits Mean+ S.E
Average lactation length(days) 300.96 + 4.43
Average lactation milk yield (kg) 2857.21 + 89.76
Average daily milk yield (kg) 11.53 + 0.07
Peak milk yield (kg) 14.87 + 0.21
Average Fat% 6.65 + 0.11
Average SNF% 8.79 + 0.01

51. Reproduction Traits
Traits
Mean+S.E
Age at First Calving
(months)
40.28+-0.25
Service Period(days)
85.64+ 4.23
Dry Period(days) 81.77+ 4.41
Calving Interval(days) 372.43+ 3.97
Gestation Length
(days)
301.0+ 2.07

52. Tarai

53. Origin and Breeding tract
• Tarai buffalo breed is the mainly breed of
Uttarakhand.
• This breed is found mainly in Ram Nagar,
Sitarganj, Khatima, Nanakmatta areas of
Kumaon of Uttarakhand.
• This breed is also found in Philibhit and
Bareilly districts of Uttar Pradesh.

54. • Body colour-Grayish brown to black coat
colour on black skin.
• Horns-Orientation of horns is mostly
backward and black in color. Shape of horn is
slightly curved to sickle shape.
• Tail-Slightly lower than hock joint.

55. Production traits
• Average first lactation milk yield
1030.04±26.78 kg
• Second lactation milk yield 1080.09±28.58 kg.
• Fat per cent during first lactation is 6.35±0.11
per cent
• Fat per cent during second lactation is
6.67±0.14.
• With over all fat per cent of 6.58±0.09%.

56. • Average SNF during first lactation is 8.56±0.08
per cent.
• 8.59±0.02 during second lactation.
• The overall SNF content was 8.57±0.05.
• Average lactation length is 290.00±4.97 days
during first lactation
• Second lactation 292.48±5.32 days .
• The overall lactation length-291.19±3.63 days.

57. Reproductive traits
• Service Period- 197.07±6.59 days.
• Dry Period- 186.92±16.77 days.
• Average calving interval- 470.62±18.07 days

58. • References-
– ICAR-Handbook Of Animal Husbandry.
– Dairy Bovine Production by-C.K.Thomas
N.S.R.Sastry
G.Ravikiran.
- Net –Buffalopedia & site of NBAGR
- Previous PowerPoint Presentations.

59. B.Abhilash Reddy.
TVM/2013-01