Should I buy a Indian Cow or a Modern High Milk yielding Dairy Cow
Before I start just wanted to share a understanding. most Indians are generally smaller than western people because of climatic condition(cooler climate makes things big).
- So it is believed many years back some cows migrated to western parts of world. So they may be good there. but in India they are useless and non sustainable.
- The diet of modern dairy cattle is high in protein from corn meal, fish meal, waste from slaughterhouses and other cheap cereals. Traditionally Indians feed cattle fresh grass and hay as their staple diet, just like zebra and other wild animals would eat in the wild. Grains and other high caloric diet is a supplement and too much is not good. This makes cows and bulls lethargic and they die soon because of diseases.
- Since 50’s modern dairy cows were genetically modified and made into huge milk and beef beast and you have no idea the kind of antibiotics and GROWTH HORMONES that are forced into these cows.
- To me modern dairy cows look abnormal, especially their udder. Males generally prefer females with average body parts and not six times bigger, they are not just ugly but difficult to maintain and cause severe health complications.
- So it is believed many years back some cows migrated to western parts of world. So they may be good there. but in India they are useless and non sustainable.
Are Modern Dairy Cows Really Profitable and Sustainable
Most countries are acquiring Indian cows’ genes to improve their cattle and we are using their discarded stuff.
This is just one of the examples of Indian cattle being used in US, Brazil and other major beef and Milk producing countries. It is a mixture of 3 Indian milch breeds. Gir, Kankrej and Ongole. All the above mentioned cows are best Milch(milking) breeds of India and are pretty huge in size. However they consume less compared to most modern dairy cows.
Gyr cows of Brazil are basically Gir cows from Gujarat, India; which are today used in many parts of world thanks to Brazilians marketing. India government was trying to import few gyr cows from Brazil but when you have something in-house why not develop it instead of acquiring it. Gyr produce 20 to 30 litres of Milk a day. This is all because they have dedicated good place for grazing and only good dedicated bulls are used. I also feel they have hybrid genes, because they produce 5 to 8 liters naturally in their home tract. On the other hand our policy makers are making way for IT parks and malls; destroying their natural habitats. idiots.
Texas Longhorn is know for its iconic long horns measuring upto 7 feet in length from tip to tip. Latest study reveals they have Indian cattle genes as well.
Fertility – Birth Cycle and Lactation Period
Indian Zebu cows are very fertile. They get easily pregnant and calving is cake walk for them. Believe me Indian cows give birth without any assistance and infant mortality rate is almost nil. Even for bigger breeds(gir, tharparkar, kankrej, ongole etc)calving is easy because calves at birth are very small. Where as western breed calf are generally bulky and bigger creating complication even to the mother cow(holstein friesian semen when used on a small jersey or on a hybrid cow normally creates this problem).
Because of this quality farmers have large herd or number of animals born in a few years that too without any hassle(no antibiotics or vet assistance is required). Where as hybrid or western breeds struggle and mortality is very high. Most of the time farmers are at loss because of this phenomena in long run.
Milk from Indian cows
Indian cows give less milk and their lactation stops after 3 months of getting conceived. Where as western breeds keep giving milk even when they are approaching next pregnancy. This makes them weak and even the new born calf suffer. So hybrid and western cows will normally give good milk for 2 or 3 birth cycle after which most of them are sent for slaughter.
But if you stop giving commercial cattle feed, milk production reduces even in hybrid cows. This is a clear evidence of Oxytocin or other hormone present in feed.
Where as Indian cows will give birth 10 to 15 calf in her life cycle. In this way they produce more milk than western cows.
Not just that their milk is of medicinal quality and fetches higher price.
You should avoid A1 Milk of Hybrid and modern western dairy cows. Read more here on
A1 or A2 milk
So why are Indian Cows Small in Size with Bone Sticking Out of Skin?
Coming to Indian cows. I believe you have not seen most Indian breeds. Google some Indian cattle breeds like Gir, Kankrej, Amrith mahal, Kangayam, Ongole, Tharparker, Deoni and you shall get a general idea of it’s size and health characteristics
Most Indian cows during feed scarcity can reverse down their metabolism.
They have the ability to convert inferior fodder into nourishing food using certain helpful bacteria. They can easily utilize crude protein.
Look at deer, zebra and other animals they just feed on grass and plain water. Cows are some what similar to them in looks and health. But it is the bad way we raise them. They are always tied to a tree or pole and not fed enough. Mainly because of habitat destruction. Healthy cows have large chest area and they would look similar to a horse and not with huge pot belly.
Ongole is one of the Finest remaining Cattle Breed of India.
Ongole is one such breed facing habitat destruction and Artificial Insemination has almost rendered this breed extinct. Same is the fate with other good Indian cows. To keep a Ongole bull you have to spend around 2000 rupees a day even in rural areas. Some dedicated souls are still doing it, but for how long???
Credits & References
- Brahman cattle – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahman_(cattle)
- Ongole cattle – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ongole_cattle
- Image: I downloaded the image long time back from some site. I don’t remember it. If this image belongs to you or somebody you know, kindly enlighten me.
- Texas Longhorn Genome Decoded – https://news.utexas.edu/2013/03/27/texas-longhorn-genome-decoded/
- Gyr cattle – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyr_(cattle)
61 Replies to “Should I buy a Indian Cow or a Modern High Milk yielding Dairy Cow”
Comments are closed.
As seen from several articles on Cow dung and Cow urine it was stated as Indian Cow dung and urine are GOOD. But on what respect it is GOOD has not been alienated.
Are there any Lab results confirming the differences of Desi Cow and Jersey Cow. Kindly provide us the Full Details on the above aspects. If so kindly Provide us the Perspective details and Lab results if any available.
—————————
Dear Satyanarayana,
Doctors advice people to avoid Ghee and oil from their diet, because it causes cholesterol. However traditionally people consumed a lot of Ghee(even the rich fellows who didn’t do any physical work) and nothing went wrong. Ghee, curd, milk was all sort of staple diet of most Indians. There is some thing wrong now.
It depends upon people if they need 1liter of good milk or 20 liters of white watery liquid so called milk.
According to my knowledge and old practices, milk was not give too much of priority. farmers milked cows for their daily needs a little. Major stuff farmers needed was nothing other than DUNG for cultivating.
Not very keen on the research papers of modern scientist because today they will say tooth paste is good for you and tomorrow it will be the other way around.
Like that our soil is not getting back to its track only because dung lacks essential microbes which are not present in hybrid or western cows. All sorts of bad smell is released by bad bacteria or if they are in huge numbers. This is exactly why hybrid cows dung smell real bad, shit flies generally mess with their dung. So there is no good bacteria to support soil. On the other hand our Indian cow dung smells great and there is always small black ants on the dung which has wings, I have so far not seen them anywhere else apart from Indian cow dung.
What I feel is you don’t have to be a scientist or high intellectual to say what is the difference between both dung. When you see both dung close by you will easily find the difference.
Ask any traditional farmer or house hold wife’s who have dung flooring they will tell the difference.
I will some time in future write more on both dungs in detail. Currently I don’t have any paper on Dung comparison. However I feel Nagpur Cow research university would have don’t some research.
Palekarji’s tested himself on the microbial count of Desi Dung ( 50- 70 lakh microbes per gm in hybrid, whereas it is 3-5 crore /gm for the Desi breed.)
You may want to check the differnce between Hybrid and Zebu Cattle Urine.
http://www.iscowp.org/images/events/cow_urine.jpg
Hello
How can we get pure Gyr cow to US?
Can we import from India?
————
legally it is not possible. There are few breeders who have pure Gir cows. Look for Iskon temple or farms they should have Gir cows and bulls in the US.
India should not allow the sale of its native cattle breed.
These countries are using them for beef production.
Why subject them to cruelty once more out of their homeland without local Indians who actually cared for them to monitor their safety?
Moreover their diets are specific to the ecosystem they come from.
You don’t take an Indian native breed cow and feed it corn. It won’t sustain its inherent immunity in the long term.
Can we stop this viscous cycle of constantly catering to the west? The keep damaging the country and are abusing the Indian knowledge systems abroad!
I completely agree with your comment. We should stop catering them and create home based system with out foreign money.
Great article and a beautiful blog. I am going to follow. How much these Gir cows cost? And, where can we get some?
———-
Thank you.
pure gir generally cost some where between 20 to 30k for a heifer. Milking ones I am not sure, price will vary.
Not easy to get a pure breed in Kerala. Coimbatore, Bangalore, and some other parts people do have them. But be ware there are some farmers who inseminate their hybrid, Jersey and HF cows with Gir or other native breeds. I have witnessed a gir cow with mastitis problem because she was born to a HF cow.
Agreed..
We on our farm trying to preserve Ongole and Gir cattle.
Maintaining a ongole bull is very expensive so we are relying on semen from Ongole breeding and research in LAM,AP.
We have few Gir Heifers and still trying get Gr semen.Local Veterinary hospitals in AP don’t have Gir semen.
Hari Devarapalli
http://amruthafarms.blogspot.in/
Dear Hari,
Keep up the great work.
I have interacted with few people in higher position in animal husbandry and their attitude till date is sickening towards Indian cows.
Problem is most don’t understand policy makers have mixed Milch, draught, dual purpose breeds as one and their milk production is stated low to cross breed or exotic breeds.
But if you compare exotic and cross breeds to Indian Milch breeds they stand no where.(Not every HF cows produce 25 liters of milk a day – If the same facilities and breeding was done on Indian Milch breeds they would have fared well). I have seen few HF cows producing as little as 5 to 8 liters with average or small land holding farmers. Also some farmers milk getting rejected because it feels 50% of the milk is mixed with drinking plain water.
Few people are interested in Gir cows in my area. Where did you acquire them I believe they are pure.
This apathy towards Indian cow in Animal Husbandry is because they are all benefiting from Jersey cows. Jersey cows are unhealthy and fall sick easily which benefit the Vets & the Pharmacy Industry. These guys are obviously bribing them to promote Jersey cow… exactly like the companies making feeds like TMR bribe the Animal Husbandry Training Institutes to promote their feed as complete food instead of the grass that is freely available in the country… so much so that Today it is considered only those diary giving TMR is the ideal diary…lol.
Jersey/HF is just like the Broiler chicken and Chemical Farming… invented by white man as a universal solution for all countries… is not sustainable.