Zebu animal: description and characteristics of the breed, habitat and content

Among the currently existing varieties of cattle, zebu stands out - an Indian animal with an unusual appearance. In Europe and America, the species is not common, and the Indians have been raising an unpretentious and hardy cow for several millennia, they consider it a sacred creature. Zebu are calm, non-aggressive, do not require special care, are immune to most diseases characteristic of livestock, provide a person with milk and meat.

Origin story

More than 75 zebu breeds have been bred, differentiated by habitat. But the birthplace of the ancient species is India.Indian peasants are the first to start raising cattle. For many centuries of existence, the animal has practically not changed in appearance. The Indian cow, adapted to living in a hot tropical climate, is a descendant of the aurochs that lived on the territory of Hindustan and Europe in ancient times. According to another scientific version, zebu is a separate species that is not related to tours.

In past centuries, zebu were actively brought to Africa and Europe, where they crossed with local breeds, getting hardy and productive individuals. The peak of breeding work came in the middle of the 20th century, it got to the point that purebred zebu practically disappeared. The breeders realized it in time, they managed to restore the number of representatives of the ancient breed.

General description and characteristics

Zebu looks like an ordinary cow, but there are noticeable differences in certain features. The main feature of the species is the humpback of the withers. A bull with a hump looks impressive, the internal contents of the withers are adipose tissue and muscle fibers, the weight of which in large individuals reaches 10 kg.Stored fat is used up when a cow is underfed for a long time.

Asian zebu look larger than African relatives. Dairy breeds have a softer body outline than beef breeds.

A description of the appearance of a zebu is given in the table:

Colour

Head	proportional to the body , classic shape, on a long, strong, sinewy neck (especially with draft use), back straight, chest wide and voluminous
Limbs	strong, well
Horns	long, slightly curved, African breeds longer than Asian
Hide	dark gray, in areas most scorched by the sun, almost black, dense, rough, a large skin fold hangs from the chest
Wool	short, the location of the hairs is rare, which has a positive effect on thermoregulation
	white, grey, light brown, red or mottled

Types of zebu

Zebu bred as agricultural livestock are divided into 2 types:

Dwarf, less than 1 m high. An adult cow weighs about 150 kg. Visually, the animal seems decorative, but, like relatives of normal size, it supplies a person with milk and meat, has a strong and hardy body.
Regular, reaching a height of 1.5 m at the withers. The physique is massive, stocky. The bulls are fleshy, the body weight of the largest individuals reaches 900 kg. Females weigh about 600 kg. Light coat colors predominate, protecting the animal from the scorching sun.

Pros and cons of the breed

Zebu, although an ancient breed, has many advantages over numerous breeds of cattle created as a result of selection.

Pros and consunpretentious, quickly adapt to living conditions;give milk and meat of good quality even with poor feeding;behave calmly, non-aggressively, obediently;with high-quality feeding, the inclusion of nutritional supplements in the diet, they give high-quality meat and milk;differ in endurance, withstand long movements from one pasture to another;have a strong immune system, are practically not exposed to diseases typical of cattle, due to the high concentration of leukocytes in the blood;they easily bear and give birth to calves, do not require human assistance during the birth process.reach puberty late (especially large breeds);give much less milk than European cows;juveniles slowly gain weight.

Habitats

Zebu - cows adapted to tropical climates. Historically, representatives of the species were bred in India. Later, the animals spread across Africa, came to the island of Madagascar, where they became the most valuable agricultural species. Today, zebu cows are also common in China, on the Korean Peninsula, in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and the countries of Western Asia. Cattle are bred in South American countries, there is a fairly large livestock in Brazil.

In Eastern Europe and Russia, the species has not yet become widespread. It is problematic to buy an animal; there are several farmers-breeders of zebu and mestizo breeds throughout the country. The calf is expensive, for one individual you will have to pay about 300 thousand rubles.

How to keep and care for animals

The zebu cow is not capricious, content with primitive conditions of detention, while her he alth and productivity do not suffer at all.She does not need a lot of space in the barn. Animal care is simple, including regular combing, checking the body for injuries and dirt. Hooves clogged with pebbles and mud are periodically cleaned.

Zebu are rarely attacked by parasites, because their coat is sparse, and their skin glands actively secrete a protective fatty lubricant. Zebu tolerate heat without problems, direct sunlight does not harm their he alth. Therefore, the herd can be kept outdoors all day long. Immune to heat is due to profuse salivation, large drooping ears, an abundance of sweat glands on the skin, providing excellent thermoregulation.

Food

Zebu eats what a normal cow would not eat, finds food where another animal would not even graze. The main food is pasture grass. Also, an Indian cow willingly consumes thin twigs, tree and shrub foliage, dried shoots, forest litter, reeds and other coastal vegetation - and all this digests the strong digestive tract of the animal without any problems.

When kept in a stall, a cow consumes hay, straw, bran, cake, root crops, grain. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be included in the diet only after consultation with a veterinarian. The specificity of nutrition affects the quality of meat, it is harsh in zebu, with increased fiber, but juicy and sweet.

When zebu cows graze near natural reservoirs, they can snatch small crustaceans from the water. This is their favorite delicacy. Cows adapted to a dry climate can be without water for a long time. Their stomach easily digests dry food, while the animal does not suffer from thirst. But with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, the cow needs to drink.

Reproduction

Pregnancy in a zebu cow lasts 280-285 days, but the duration of gestation depends on the breed, conditions of detention, quality of feeding, gender of the fetus.The onset of puberty is also determined by the breed. Indian cows become sexually mature at 45 months, African cows at 40 months, Indonesian cows at 37 months. Females are exploited up to 12 years of age, bulls - up to 10 years. For mating, male sires who have reached 2.5 years of age are selected. And non-producing males are castrated at 3-4 years of age.

The ability to reproduce depends on living conditions and care. The appearance of offspring is not always annual. Asian cows give birth every 1.5 years, African cows - once every 2 years.

In a lifetime, a cow gives birth to 8-10 calves. There is always one cub in the litter. A newborn animal weighs about 35 kg; by the age of six months, the weight increases to 150 kg. From the first minutes of life, the cub is independent, rises to its feet, follows its mother. By the age of 6 months, the calf is overgrown with a scar, which means that the diet changes from children to adults.

Frequent illnesses

Zebu immunity is excellent, the body is hardy. Indian cows, unlike European relatives, do not become infected with foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, and tuberculosis. The digestive tract is also strong, its work is disturbed only when feeding poor-quality, spoiled food.

In rare cases, animals get sick:

leptospirosis - a hereditary bacterial disease accompanied by fever and capillary damage;
eimeriosis - an infectious pathology that causes anemia;
malignant catarrhal fever - acute inflammation of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, respiratory tract, digestive organs;
necrobacteriosis - purulent-necrotic lesion of the skin and deepening of the hooves;
demodectic mange - a parasitic disease caused by ticks;
scabies.

Zebu live up to 20 years. Some individuals become long-livers, live up to 35 years.

Meaning for a person

In India, zebu are dairy cattle. A cow gives relatively little milk, the average annual milk yield is 800-1000 liters. But the quality of milk is high, the product contains 8% milk fat. No other milk contains such a high concentration of phosphoric acid. In most countries, zebu are bred for their meat. The color of the meat is dark red, the structure is tough, the fat content is low, after heat treatment the palatability becomes high.

In Africa and Asia, the zebu is used as a draft animal. The bull is taught to carry loads from the age of 2, and the animal is loaded as much as possible from the age of 5.The peasants try to spare the livestock, they use it to work in the morning and evening hours when the sun does not scorch, they do not force the bulls to work longer than 6 hours.

In India and Madagascar, the zebu is a sacred animal. Only in India respect and honor the cow, symbolizing fertility and abundance, killing her is considered a terrible sin. Hindus do not even allow themselves to shout and swear at a sacred animal. But the inhabitants of Madagascar eat zebu meat, and the cow itself is slaughtered as a sacrificial animal at a funeral.