Bargur cattle: status, characteristics and performance

Abstract

Bargur, the hill cattle of Tamil Nadu, India is reared mostly inside the forests and is surviving under zero-input conditions. Their home tract is restricted to a narrow geographical area in and around Bargur hills at an elevation of about 1000 m above the MSL. The distinguishing morphological features of these cattle include its typical brown colour with white patches and being compact in size. The average body length, height at withers and heart girth were 99.7-2.0 cm, 10836+0.8 cm and 139, 92+0.9 cm in cows and 109.18-32 cm, 117.59-1.5 cm and 152.7+3.2 cm for adult males respectively. Cows are poor milkers and produce about 0.5 to 3.0 litres milk per day after suckling by calf. However, bullocks are famous for their endurance and speed in trotting. Animal are mostly maintained for dung and draft in the breeding tract. In the last three decades, the population of these animals has declined drastically by about 90% (to less than 10,000) due to various reasons. There is a strong and urgent need to make efforts for conservation so that the extinction of this valuable germplasm may be avoided.

Keywords

• Bargur
• the hill cattle of Tamil Nadu
• India is reared mostly inside the forests and is surviving under zero-input conditions. Their home tract is restricted to a narrow geographical area in and around Bargur hills at an elevation of about 1000 m above th