Buffalo
Breeds
The principle of care and management of buffaloes are similar to those of dairy cattle.
Different Breeds of Buffaloes in India
| Sr.No. | Breed | Habitat/Main State | Breeding Tract Districts | Assembling Centres | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhadawari | Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh | Bah Tehsil in Agra Adjoining areas of Gwalior | Local markets in Breeding areas (Agra, Kanpur, Etawah, Jalaun, Jhansi) | Dairy Breed |
| 2 | Jafarabadi | Gujarat | Kathiawar and Honreli | Breeding areas of Saurashtra | Dairy Breed |
| 3 | Mehsani | Gujarat | Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha tract in Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Mehsana and other places of breeding | Dairy Breed |
| 4 | Murrah | Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab | Rohtak, Hissar, Karnal, Jind, Gurgaon, Western parts of Uttar Pradesh Nabha and Patiala | Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Jahanzgarh, Mahim, Hissar, Bhiwani, Hansi, Rewari, Ferozpur, Jirka, Nangloi | Dairy Breed |
| 5 | Nagpuri | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh | Wardha, Nagpur Yeotmal, Adilabad, and adjoining parts | Vidarbha area of Maharashtra and Adilabad district of A.P. | Dual purpose breed |
| 6 | Nili Ravi | Punjab | Ferozepur (Montogomery Pakisatan) | Ferozpur District of Punjab | Dairy Breed |
| 7 | Surti | Gujarat | Kheda, Vadodara | Throughout Gujarat | Dairy Breed |
| 8 | Pandharpuri | Maharastra | Solapur, Kolhapur and Sangli districts | Throughout Maharastra | Dairy Breed |
Breeds in Kerala
Murrah and Surti are the two breeds reared in Kerala. Murrah buffaloes are
the best milk producing buffaloes of the world. The important characters of the breed include curled horns,
jet black body with a white switch. White colour is not desirable in any other part of the body. Average
production will be 2000-2500 litres in lactation. The presently used buffalo semen in Kerala is of Murrah
bulls.
Surti are medium sized with sickle shaped horns. Surthi buffaloes are
known for their reproduction efficiency. Average production is less than 1500 kg/lactation. Presence of two
white chevrons, one just below the jowl region and the other one in the brisket region are said to be
identifying character of the breed. Surthi breed was used previously to upgrade the local buffaloes of Kerala.
Reproductive and productive (Traits) in Indian buffaloes
| Sr.No. | Name of the breed | Age at first calving (months) | Calving interval (months) | Lactation yield (kg.) | Lactation length (days) | Dry period (days) | Milk yield kg/day during lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhadawari | 50 | 15 | 1,080 | 270 | 180 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Murrah | 42 | 16 | 1,800 | 300 | 180 | 6.0 |
| 3 | Nili-Ravi | 54 | 16 | 1,950 | 300 | 180 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Surti | 44 | 16 | 1,765 | 330 | 150 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Mehsani | 50 | 14 | 1,620 | 270 | 150 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Jaffarabadi | 50 | 14 | 1,620 | 270 | 150 | 6.0 |
| 7 | Pandharpuri | 56 | 14 | 1,350 | 270 | 150 | 5.0 |
| 8 | Marathwadi | 50 | 14 | 1,015 | 270 | 150 | 3.5 |
| 9 | Nagpuri | 50 | 14 | 1,350 | 270 | 150 | 5.0 |
| 10 | Dharwari | 50 | 14 | 1,350 | 270 | 150 | 5.0 |
