Gir Cow Milk Per Day, Breed Profile And Characteristics:
Today, let us talk about Gir Cow Cost , Gir Cow Milk Per Day and other facts of Gir cattle breed profile.
Introduction to Gir Cow:
In India, the Gir cow is one of the humped cattle breeds. When compared to other breeds, this is said to have distinct traits. Gujarat is the birthplace of the cow. It is incredibly nutritious, and the milk is known as A2 milk.The breed is found in Gujarat’s Gir highlands and woods, as well as Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, and Amreli districts. In various sections of the breeding tract, this breed is also called as Bhodali, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi, and Surti. These Gir animals are well-known for their resilience to hardship and resistance to a variety of tropical illnesses.
Gir Cow Breed.This breed is used to haul huge loads across many types of terrain. Other nations, including Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Venezuela, have imported these animals and successfully produced them. Gir contributes the majority of milk production in Gujarat State, and it ranks high among 39 phenotypically described Indian cattle breeds (NBAGR, 2015). Kankrej is another promising cow breed in Gujarat. Gir and Kankrej have both emerged through generations of breeding attempts by Gujarat’s agricultural and largely pastoral, nomadic populations, including the Rabari, Bharwad, Maldhari, and Charan.
Geographical parameters of Gir:
Gir’s breeding tract is located between 20.5-22.6 latitude and 70.0-72.0 longitude, and it is 400 meters above sea level on average. The soil is medium dark, the temperature ranges from 7°C to 45°C, the humidity ranges from 20% to 80%, and the annual rainfall ranges from 500-1500 mm, with a high in July and August. Bajra, jowar, and wheat are the main cereal crops farmed in the region, whereas grams and pigeon peas are the main pulses. Groundnut, castor, cotton, onion, sugar cane, and garlic are among the other crops farmed in the region. The following trees are common in the area: banyan, rain-tree, neem, and acacia.
Read: Jersey Cow Dairy Project Report.
Physical characteristics:
| Sr. No. | Feature | Male | Female |
| 1 | Height (Avg. Cm) | 159.84 | 130.79 |
| 2 | Body length (avg. cm) | 137.51 | 131.40 |
| 3 | Heart girth (avg. cm) | 201.41 | 166.47 |
| 4 | Weight (avg. kg) | 544.00 | 310.00 |
| 5 | Birth weight (avg. kg) | 20.77 | 20.77 |
Typical breed characteristics of Gir Cattle:
Color:
Red is the most common color, accounting for around 80% of the creatures. The hue yellowish light to dark red is widespread in the Junagadh/Gir-Somnath district and its surrounding areas. More Gir cows in Bhavnagar and Surendranagar districts, and to a lesser degree in Rajkot district, are red with white markings on their bodies. Surendranagar district is home to animals with entirely white coats and crimson patches all over their bodies. Colors that are entirely white, fully black, or yellowish red are relatively uncommon in Gir. Male cows have deeper coloring than female cows.
Horns:
Cattle horns begin at the base and curve laterally downward and backward before inclining slightly upward and forward in a spiral inward sweep. Several local terminology are used to describe Gir animals based on the form of their horns, such as Machiya, Muthiya, Bhila, Patti, Kundha, Boda, and so on.
Ears:
Ears are folded like a leaf and dangle all the time, with the inner facing front. The ears of all cow breeds are the longest (about 30 cm). A notch is seen at the end of the ear, which is also a distinguishing trait of the Gir breed. Different local terms, such as Bhungadiya and Fafada, are used to describe the form of the ears (Maradiya, 2016).
Head, face, eyes and nostrils:
The head is large, heavy, and convex, like an inverted clay pot, narrowing dramatically below the eyes. The Gir’s face is normally lengthy. Some cattle owners, however, prefer a short face. The eyes of this Gir cow are almond shaped. The greater the distance between the eyes, the better. Yellow eyes and white eyelashes are unattractive. Gir’s black nostrils are another distinguishing feature.
Brisket, skin and tail:
The brisket is huge, but the skin is thin. It has a smooth and swinging aspect. It is essential for thermoregulation. The skin seems loose, smooth, and gleaming. The tail switch is clustered and black in hue. A few animals have lengthy tails that reach the ground.
Hump:
A vertical imaginary line drawn across the hoof’s midpoint should intersect the center section of the hump above. The hump is not bending. Because the eyelids cover about half of the eye, the animals seem tired. Gir cows have the greatest hump of any indigenous cattle breed.
Gir Cow Cost:
Gir cows typically cost between 1 lakh and 2 lakh rupees, depending on milk output, age, lactation stage, and pregnant status. Pregnant Gir cows are often more expensive than dry ones. A healthy and young Gir bull costs almost the same as a Gir cow.
Girl Cow Milk Per Day:
Gir cows may produce up to 12 liters of milk each day.
Read: Dairy Shed Design and Construction Plan.
Conservation and Genetic Improvement Programmes of Gir:
GIR has been crossed with foreign breeds for genetic enhancement under the All India Coordinated Research Project (Cattle). The primary goal of this massive endeavor was to create a crossbred strain that was compatible for the prevailing environmental circumstances. For these animals, the Animal Husbandry Department began a genetic enhancement program. Under this program, young Gir bulls are being screened for progeny.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) initiated two studies on Gir cattle, one for breed conservation and the other for genetic improvement, both of which are being carried out by the (NBAGR) National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources.
Gir Cattle breed profile:
- Gir breed purpose – Mainly kept for milk production in India
- Gir breed Size – Heavy
- Gir Cow Weigh t – On average, bulls weigh 545 kg and heifers weigh 385 kg.
- Gir Cattle Climate Tolerance – All Climates
- Gir Cattle Skin color – The gir cattle’s body color ranges from bright red to speckled white. Furthermore, the hue of their bodies may range from pure red to speckles, yellowish red to white with huge red dots.
- Gir Cow Milk Yield – Very good
- Gir Cow Country of origin – India
The Unfortunate and Pathetic Truth of Gir Cattle:
Gir cattle are sent to Brazil to provide a worldwide supply of better breeds of cows for bulk milk and meat production. CROSS BRED cattle produce more milk, but they are difficult to keep since they are susceptible to illnesses, cannot be used as draught animals, and their lactation decreases with each generation.
Indigenous breeds, on the other hand, are perfectly adapted to Indian circumstances, produce milk with a greater fat content, and the bulls may be employed as draught animals.
JASDAN: Given that the Gir is indigenous to Gujarat, local businesses should have been profiting from it. However, it seems that far distant Brazil is doing a better job at this. Today, the South American nation has over 50 lakh heads of this unique species noted for its exceptional milk output.
The advantages of having a Gir cow dairy farm:
- Gir cows are one of India’s most populous dairy breeds.
- High capacity for milk production. Furthermore, because of the presence of A-2 beta casein protein component, Gir cow milk is regarded to be of premium grade.
- A low-maintenance facility is required to farm these Gir cows.
- The Gir has a long average lifetime (12 to 15 years) and a low mortality rate.
- The Gir breed has a high reproduction rate and may give birth to up to ten calves throughout its lifetime.
- This cow breed has a high level of disease resistance.In the market, milk has a high value.
- These animals may be milked using mechanical methods.
- Natural mating is favoured over artificial insemination procedures for growing this cow breed.
- The Gir breed produces around 1,590 kg of milk each lactation on average. During the initial calving process, 1600 to 1700 kg of milk is produced every lactation, whereas mature cattle produce roughly 1,800 to 2,000 kg per lactation.
- The price of one liter of Gir milk varies by location (e.g., Rs 50 to Rs 70 per liter) and is somewhat pricey due to the milk’s two protein groups: casein and whey protein
