Unit 4: Breeds of Livestock and Poultry

1. Introduction

A breed is a group of animals related by descent and similar in most characters like general appearance, features, size, and configuration. Livestock and poultry breeds are generally classified based on their origin (Indigenous/Exotic) and utility (Milk, Meat, Wool, Work, etc.).

2. Breeds of Cattle

Scientific Names:

• Indian Cattle: Bos indicus (Humped/Zebu cattle).
• Exotic Cattle: Bos taurus (Humpless/European cattle).

A. Important Indian Breeds

Indian cattle are classified based on utility into three categories:

1. Milch Breeds (Dairy)

Cows are high milk yielders, but bullocks are poor workers.

• Sahiwal:
  • Origin: Montgomery district (Pakistan). Found in Punjab, Haryana.
  • Features: Reddish dun color, loose skin (called "Lola"), massive hump.
  • Yield: Best indigenous dairy breed (1400–2500 kg/lactation).
• Red Sindhi:
  • Origin: Karachi and Hyderabad (Pakistan).
  • Features: Red color, compact body.
  • Yield: 1100–2600 kg/lactation. High resistance to diseases.
• Gir:
  • Origin: Gir forests of Gujarat (Saurashtra).
  • Features: Long pendulous ears (leaf-like), convex forehead, red/spotted color.
  • Yield: 1200–1800 kg/lactation.

2. Draft Breeds (Work)

Bullocks are excellent workers; cows are poor milkers.

• Amritmahal:
  • Origin: Karnataka (Hassan, Chikmagalur).
  • Features: Grey/white, long sharp horns, fiery temper, excellent endurance.
• Hallikar:
  • Origin: Karnataka (Tumkur, Mysore).
  • Features: Grim faced, long horns sweeping backward. Ancestor of Amritmahal.
• Kangayam:
  • Origin: Tamil Nadu (Erode).
  • Features: Grey/white body, dark hump and extremities in bulls. Known for strength.

3. Dual Purpose Breeds

Cows are average milkers; bullocks are good workers.

• Haryana:
  • Origin: Rohtak, Hissar (Haryana).
  • Features: White/grey, long narrow face, compact body. Most popular dual breed in North India.
• Ongole:
  • Origin: Andhra Pradesh (Nellore, Guntur).
  • Features: Large muscular body, white color, heavy hump. Known as "Brahman" in America (used for beef production there).
• Kankrej:
  • Origin: Gujarat (Rann of Kutch).
  • Features: Heaviest Indian breed. Silver-grey, lyre-shaped horns, unique "Sawai" gait.

B. Important Exotic Breeds

• Holstein Friesian (HF):
  • Origin: Holland (Netherlands).
  • Features: Black and white markings. Largest dairy breed.
  • Utility: Highest milk producer in the world (5000–8000 kg/lactation). Low fat % (3.5%).
• Jersey:
  • Origin: Jersey Island (UK).
  • Features: Smallest of dairy breeds. Fawn/reddish color. Dish-shaped forehead.
  • Utility: Highest fat % (5–5.5%). Very adaptable to hot climates.
• Brown Swiss:
  • Origin: Switzerland.
  • Features: Brown/grey color. Robust and rugged. High cheese yield.

3. Breeds of Buffalo

Scientific Name: Bubalus bubalis
Buffaloes contribute more than 50% of India's total milk production.

A. Murrah Group

• Murrah:
  • Origin: Haryana, Punjab.
  • Features: Jet black color, tightly curled horns (Jalebi shaped).
  • Utility: "Pride of India." Highest milk yielder among buffaloes (1500–2500 kg).
• Nili-Ravi:
  • Origin: Sutlej/Ravi river banks (Punjab/Pakistan).
  • Features: "Panch Kalyani" (White markings on forehead, face, muzzle, legs, and tail switch). Wall eyes (whitish iris).

B. Gujarat Group

• Surti:
  • Origin: Baroda/Kaira (Gujarat).
  • Features: Sickle-shaped horns (flat). Two white collars (chevrons) on the neck.
• Jaffrabadi:
  • Origin: Gir forest (Gujarat).
  • Features: Heaviest Indian buffalo. Horns represent the heavy trunk of an elephant.
• Mehsana:
  • Origin: Mehsana (Gujarat).
  • Features: Cross between Murrah and Surti. Persistent milker.

C. Uttar Pradesh Group

• Bhadawari:
  • Origin: Agra/Etawah (UP).
  • Features: Copper colored body.
  • Utility: Highest fat percentage in milk (up to 13%).

4. Breeds of Sheep

Scientific Name: Ovis aries

A. Indian Breeds

• Marwari:
  • Region: Jodhpur (Rajasthan).
  • Traits: Hardy, disease resistant. Produces coarse wool for carpets.
• Nellore:
  • Region: Andhra Pradesh.
  • Traits: Tallest sheep breed in India. Hairy (no wool). Excellent mutton breed.
• Mandya:
  • Region: Karnataka.
  • Traits: Compact, low set. Best mutton quality in South India.
• Patanwadi:
  • Region: Gujarat.
  • Traits: Brown face. Good milk yielder and carpet wool.
• Sonadi:
  • Region: Rajasthan (Udaipur).
  • Traits: Long tail touching the ground. Triple purpose (Milk, Meat, Wool).

B. Exotic Breeds

• Merino:
  • Origin: Spain.
  • Utility: Finest wool in the world (Apparel wool). Skin has wrinkles/folds.
• Rambouillet:
  • Origin: France (derived from Merino).
  • Utility: Fine wool and meat (Dual purpose).
• Corriedale:
  • Origin: New Zealand.
  • Utility: Cross between Merino (Ewe) x Lincoln (Ram). Dual purpose.
• Dorset:
  • Origin: UK.
  • Utility: Horned and polled varieties. Good mutton.

5. Breeds of Goat

Scientific Name: Capra hircus
Known as the "Poor man's cow."

A. Indian Breeds

• Jamunapari:
  • Origin: Etawah (UP).
  • Features: Largest Indian goat. Roman nose (parrot mouth), long pendulous ears, tuft of hair on buttocks. Dual purpose.
• Beetal:
  • Origin: Punjab (Gurdaspur).
  • Features: Similar to Jamunapari but smaller and no hair tuft. Good for stall feeding.
• Barbari:
  • Origin: UP (Agra/Mathura).
  • Features: Dwarf breed. Ideal for urban rearing. High prolificacy (twins/triplets common).
• Black Bengal:
  • Origin: West Bengal.
  • Features: Black, small. Famous for high-quality meat (Chevon) and superior skin/leather. High fecundity.
• Changthangi (Pashmina):
  • Origin: Ladakh/Tibet.
  • Features: Produces "Pashmina" (Cashmere), a very fine undercoat fiber.

B. Exotic Breeds

• Saanen:
  • Origin: Switzerland.
  • Features: "Milk Queen of the Goat World." White/cream color.
• Alpine:
  • Origin: French Alps.
  • Features: Hardy, good milker.
• Boer:
  • Origin: South Africa.
  • Features: White body, red head. Premier meat breed of the world.
• Angora:
  • Origin: Turkey.
  • Features: Produces "Mohair" (lustrous fiber).

6. Breeds of Swine (Pigs)

Scientific Name: Sus scrofa domesticus

A. Exotic/Commercial Breeds

• Large White Yorkshire:
  • Origin: UK.
  • Features: White, erect ears, snout dished. Most widely used breed for crossbreeding in India. Excellent bacon.
• Landrace:
  • Origin: Denmark.
  • Features: White, large drooping ears covering eyes. Long body (extra rib). Excellent bacon quality.
• Duroc:
  • Origin: USA.
  • Features: Red/cherry color. Drooping ears. Excellent growth rate and feed conversion efficiency.
• Hampshire:
  • Origin: USA.
  • Features: Black with a white belt around the shoulder/forelegs. Good carcass quality.

B. Indigenous Breeds

• Ghungroo: Found in West Bengal/Assam. Highly prolific.
• Niang Megha: Found in Meghalaya.

7. Breeds of Poultry (Chicken)

Scientific Name: Gallus gallus domesticus

Poultry breeds are classified by Class (Origin) and Utility.

A. Standard Classifications (by Origin)

1. American Class: Yellow skin, red earlobes, brown eggs, clean shanks.
   • Rhode Island Red (RIR): Dual purpose, hardy, rectangular body. Deep red plumage.
   • Plymouth Rock: Barred or White. Good meat quality.
   • New Hampshire: Developed from RIR. Faster growth.
2. Mediterranean Class: Smaller body, white earlobes, white eggs. Non-sitters.
   • White Leghorn: The world's best egg layer (Layer). Origin: Italy.
   • Minorca: Largest of the Mediterranean class.
3. English Class: White skin, red earlobes, brown eggs.
   • Sussex: Excellent table bird (meat).
   • Cornish: Used as the male line for broiler production due to broad breast.
4. Asiatic Class: Large body, feathered shanks.
   • Brahma, Cochin, Langshan.

B. Indian Indigenous Breeds

• Aseel:
  • Region: Andhra Pradesh/Chhattisgarh.
  • Traits: Pugnacious (fighter bird), high stamina, delicious meat. Poor layer.
• Kadaknath:
  • Region: Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua).
  • Traits: Black meat (Melanin), black blood, and bones. Meat has medicinal value (low cholesterol, high protein).
• Chittagong (Malay): Tallest Indian breed.

8. Improvement of Farm Animals and Poultry

Animal improvement aims to increase production (milk, meat, wool, eggs) through genetics and breeding strategies.

A. Methods of Selection

Selection is the process of choosing parents for the next generation.

1. Mass Selection: Selection based on the individual's own phenotype (appearance/performance). Used for high heritability traits (e.g., egg weight).
2. Pedigree Selection: Selection based on the performance of ancestors. Useful when the animal is young.
3. Progeny Testing: Selection of a sire (male) based on the performance of his offspring (daughters). Most accurate for milk production but time-consuming.

B. Systems of Breeding

1. Inbreeding

Mating of related individuals (ancestry common within 4–6 generations).

• Close Breeding: Mating very closely related animals (Sire x Daughter, Brother x Sister). Increases homozygosity (purity) but risks "Inbreeding Depression" (reduced fertility/vigor).
• Line Breeding: Mating distantly related animals (e.g., Cousin x Cousin) to maintain a relationship to a superior ancestor without severe risks of close breeding.

2. Outbreeding

Mating of unrelated individuals.

• Outcrossing: Mating unrelated animals within the same breed. Restores vigor.
• Crossbreeding: Mating animals of different breeds (e.g., Holstein x Sahiwal).
  • Benefit: Heterosis (Hybrid Vigor) – Offspring performs better than the average of both parents.
  • Example: Karan Fries (Tharparkar x Holstein Friesian).
• Grading Up: Mating sires of a pure breed (e.g., Murrah) with non-descript (local) females for several generations. Eventually, the local population resembles the pure breed (reaching 99% purity by the 7th generation).
• Species Hybridization: Mating animals of different species.
  • Example: Jack (Donkey) x Mare (Horse) = Mule (Sterile but strong).

C. Artificial Insemination (AI)

• Definition: Deposition of semen into the female reproductive tract using instruments.
• Advantages:
  • One superior bull can breed thousands of cows (via semen dilution).
  • Prevents spread of genital diseases.
  • Semen can be transported globally (Cryopreservation at -196°C in Liquid Nitrogen).
• Method: The Recto-vaginal method is most common in cattle and buffalo.