Dairy Production
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BREED:
Kg for the females. They differ little
from wild yaks except that they are
smaller, have shorter and thinner
horns and rusty brown, silver grey or
piebald (black and white patterns)
instead of black. Often they have
whitish spots on their hairs.
The yak hair is long, especially on the
flanks that often reaches the ground.
It has an enormous tail with a brush
of long hair coming from its roots,
which is rare in bovine. The horns are
spread outward and upward and the
head is held low. There are more
than one million yaks in the world.
A group of animals related by descent
and similar in most characters like
general appearance, features, size,
configuration (arrangement/shape),
etc. are said to be a breed.
SPECIES:
A group of individuals, which have
certain common characteristics, that
distinguishes them from other group
of individuals. Within a species the
individuals are fertile when mated, in
different species they are not.
The following are some of the breeds
of animals found in Bhutan with their
breed characteristics:
BREEDS OF CATTLE
YAK:(Bos grunniens)
It is a grazing animal accustomed to
travelling great distances in harsh
environment. There has been close
association between man and yaks
ever since first humans migrated into
high mountains of Asia. Most yaks
are found in the mountains and
plateaus of Tibet and western China.
However, they occur from northern
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and
Bhutan to Mongolia and the Soviet
Union.
Appearance And Size:
Domestic yaks are about the size of
ordinary cattle and rarely exceed
heights of 1.3 metres at shoulder.
The live weight is generally 250 to
550 Kg for the males and 180 to 350
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Yaks are specially useful as riding
and pack animals. They can manage
loads of more than 150 Kg. At altitude
up to 6000 meters, they may carry a
pack of person at a steady pace for
days and still remain in good
condition. Yak bulls (generally
castrated) are also used for
ploughing. Meat is also important in
yak rearing areas. Yak’s milk is much
richer than cow’s milk. The fat
percentage of yak milk ranges from
5.7% to 6.8%. The hair of yak is used
for making ropes, saddle, blankets,
bags for storing grains, etc.
MITHUN: (Bos frontalis)
This is believed to be a domesticated
form of animal, indigenous to parts of
Burma and Bangladesh. Because of
its large size and the high butterfat
content of its milk (6.8 to 7.8% fat), it
is widely used for crossbreeding
cattle in Bhutan.
Mithuns are kept in a domesticated
condition by the hill tribes of northern
India (Mishis, Mizos, Nagas), the
Chitagong Hill tracts and some
Burmese hill ranges (Arakan and
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China Hills). It is the main domestic
animal of the Nagas of Nagaland.
Bhutanese farmers have some
60,000 heads of animals that are
crossbreeds of Mithun and the local
of cattle.
a prized milch cow. To this day,
extensive crossbreeding of Mithun
bulls with Siri cows is still being
continued.
Appearance And Size:
Origin
The bulls may exceed occasionally
1.7 metres at the shoulder and weigh
1000 Kg, but the average bull is
about 1.5 metres and weighs about
540 Kg. Cows are shorter and weigh
less. The animal has a dorsal ridge
(sloping upwards) on the crest of the
shoulders, a small but pronounced
dewlap
and
generally
slightly
concaved forehead. Mithun horns are
often unusual firth (wide tidal point of
horns), they are straight or gently
curving and many have enormous
base that practically covers the top of
the skull. Most calves and females
are brown but adult males are
generally black with white stockings
(white pattern) on all four legs. Some
however, are light brown, white or
piebald.
Animals of this breed are found in the
hill tracts around Darjeeling (Bengal,
India) and in Sikkim and Bhutan.
Bhutan is said to be the real home of
this breed. It is distributed from that
area to the various parts of Sikkim
and Darjeeling.
Uses:
The colour most frequently seen is
black and white or extensive solid
black, in colour patterns similar to that
of Holstein-Friesians. Pure black or
pure red is not uncommon. The
animal carries a thick coat all the year
round, and it is generally believed
that this protects them from heavy
rains and severe cold.
Mithuns are used for fieldwork and
draft animals. They are also
Important as meat supply. The
Bhutanese
livestock
breeders,
particularly those in the eastern
regions, have mated mithun bulls to
Siri cows (Bos indicus) from India for
at least a century. This produces very
high profitable hybrid offspring that
have high milk production capacity.
The milk is rich in total solids and
produces exceptional yields of
cheese and butter. The male of cross,
the “Jatsha” is a powerful draft
animal and the female “Jatsham” is
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SIRI OR THRABUM: (Bos indicus)
Appearance And Size:
Siri has a massive body, small head,
square cut, wide and flat forehead
presenting convexity. Siri animals
have sharp horns, relatively small
ears, well placed hump covered with
tuft (bunch) of hair at the top. They
have strong legs and feet, the dewlap
is moderately developed, bulls have
tight sheath (skin cover). The udders
of the cows are well developed.
Uses:
Bulls are eagerly sought after for draft
purposes due to their size and
reputed great strength. They are also
used for agricultural work such as
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ploughing, cultivating, threshing, etc.
Cows are poor milkers.
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Uses:
This breed is mainly used as dairy
animals in Bhutan.
BROWN SWISS:
JERSEY:
This is one of the oldest of the dairy
breeds native to Switzerland, which is
a rough and mountainous country.
This breed is also widely found in
Italy, Austria, Hungary, United States,
Mexico and South America. Purebred
Brown Swiss bulls were imported
from Indo-Swiss Project, Patiala,
India for crossbreeding programme in
Bumthang. The average gestation
period for females is 290 days with
average milk yield of 5250 litres in a
lactation period of 305 days.
This breed was developed in the
Island of Jersey in the English
Channel. Jersey varies in colour from
light red to black and from white
spotted to solid in marking. The
switch may be black to white. The
muzzle is black with light encircling
ring. The origin of this breed is not
clearly established but it is thought to
have been developed by introduction
of black cattle of Britain and France
before 1100 A.D.
Size And Appearance:
The colour varies from a light fawn
(yellowish brown) to almost black.
The muzzle (nose region) and a strip
(line) along with backbone are light in
colour. The nose, switch and horn
tips are black. The animals are fairly
large in size and have extremely
strong constitution and hardiness.
The breed is triple purpose animal in
the homeland, i.e. for milk, meat and
drought. Cows have large bones,
large heads which are usually
convex, thick and loose skin. Calves
are large and weigh more than 40 Kg
at birth. Adult males weigh about 700
to 800 Kg and adult females weigh
about 500 to 600 Kg. Brown Swiss
cattle have large heads and thick
loose skin. This breed lacks dairy
characters like angularity, etc. The
breed is quiet, docile and easily
manageable. This breed can tolerate
more heat than Jersey.
Prepared by Tshewang Dorji
Appearance and Size:
This is the smallest of the dairy
breeds and considered comparatively
an economical milk producer. The
cows have straight top line, levelled
rumps and sharp withers. Their heads
have a characteristic double dish.
They also show dairy temperament.
They have excellent udders, both in
shape and in fore and rear
attachment. Adult cows weigh about
500 Kg and males about 600 to 700
Kg. The average gestation period of
Jersey cows is 280 days and yield
about 4000 litres of milk on average
in a lactation period of 305 days.
Uses:
This is a true dairy breed and hence
this breed is used for milk production.
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Dairy Production
Holstein Friesian (Bos
Taurus)
Origin:
Holstein-Friesian cattle, breed of
dairy cattle originated in Holland and
Friesland. These large cattle with
sharply defined black and white
spotted markings are believed to
have been bred for their dairy
qualities for 2,000 years. In milk
production the cows average a higher
yield than that of any other breed,
although the milk has a relatively low
butterfat content; as a dairy breed,
they rank high for beef and veal
production. They are also widely
raised in Canada, Australia, South
America, and South Africa.
Physical characteristics
Holsteins, easily recognized by their
distinctive colour markings and
outstanding milk production, are
large, stylish animals with colour
patterns of black and white or red
and white. In the strictest definition, a
Holstein cow usually has black ears,
white feet, and white end of the tail.
Production:
A healthy calf weighs 30 to 35 kg or
more at birth. A mature Holstein cow
weighs 500 to 750 kg and stands 130
cm tall at the shoulder. Holstein
heifers can be bred at 15 months of
age, when they weigh over 360 kg.
Generally, breeders aim for Holstein
heifers to calve for the first time
between 23 and 26 months of age.
The gestation period of this breed is
about nine months.
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While some cows may live
considerably longer, the normal
productive life of a Holstein is six
years.
Milk Production
Average production for all Holsteins
enrolled in official U.S. productiontesting programs in 1987 was 7913
kg of milk.
BREEDS OF BUFFALO:
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is
a sub-genus of the genus Bos
Bubalinae of the mainland Asia. The
domestic animals are of great
economic significance in tropical and
sub-tropical parts of Asia. It is also
found in south eastern Europe, Egypt
and in small numbers in the Central
American States and Brazil. In
Bhutan, very few farmers of the
southern region rear buffaloes. The
buffalo breeds reared in the southern
region of our country are Murrah and
Surti.
MURRAH BUFFALO:
This breed was developed in Punjab
and Delhi in India.
Distinguishing Characters:
This breed has deep massive frame
with
short,
broad
back
and
comparatively high neck and head. It
has short and tightly curled horns,
well-developed udder and long tail
with white switch reaching at the
fetlock. Short massive limbs with
good bone, broad boons and
drooping quarters. Popular colour is
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jet black with white markings in the
tail, face and extremities. The skin is
soft and smooth with scanty hair. The
body weight of the male amounts on
average to 550 Kg and female to 450
Kg. On average, she buffalo yields
1400 to 2000 litres of milk with 7% fat
in a lactation period of 9 - 10 months.
The gestation period of Murrah
buffalo is 320 days. The breed is
considered to be the most efficient
milk producers in the world Bulls of
this breed are used extensively for
upgrading inferior stock of many
countries
including
Thailand,
Malaysia,
the
Philippines,
Madagascar and Brail. she buffaloes
are used in most cities for the supply
of milk and ghee.
SURTI BUFFALO:
This breed was developed in the
southwestern part of Gujurat state in
India. This breed has got a fairly long
and broad head with a convex shape
at the top in between the horns.
Horns are sickle-shaped and flat
which grow in a downward and
backward direction and then upwards
at the tip forming a hook. The neck is
long in females and thick and heavy
in males. Surti buffalo has welldeveloped udder and finely shaped
and squarely placed between the
hind legs and has got a unique
straight back. They are of medium
size and docile temperament. The
colour of the skin is black or brown
and the colour of the hair varies from
rusty brown to silver gray. The tail is
long, thin and flexible usually with a
white switch. The average lactation
yield is 1600 litres of milk with 7.5%
fat content in a lactation period of 350
days. The average gestation period of
this breed of buffalo is 308 days.
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