Punganur cattle
Indian breed of cattle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Punganur is an Indian breed of small zebuine cattle. It is found in the hilly area of Chitoor District, in Andhra Pradesh in southern India, and is among the smallest of all zebu breeds.[4]: 275
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| Conservation status | |
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| Country of origin | India |
| Distribution | Chitoor District, Andhra Pradesh |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Coat | white, grey, brown, red, rarely black[3]: 94 |
| Horn status | small and crescent-shaped |
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History
The Punganur is a traditional breed of the Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. The breed name may derive from its association in the past with the Rajahs of Punganur, or from the name of the town itself.[2] It is reared mainly in hill country, at up to 1500 m above sea level.[4]: 275
It has in the past been an endangered breed. An attempt was made in the 1950s to form a government conservation herd, but without success.[4]: 275 Its conservation status was listed by the FAO as "critical" in 2007.[1]: 58 In 2016 there was a herd of no more than 30 head on a government farm.[4]: 275 In 2022 a population of 9876–13275 was reported to DAD-IS, and in 2024 the conservation status of the breed was listed as "not at risk".[2]
Characteristics
Use
The cattle are used for draught power and for milk production.[2] Milk yields and milk composition are highly variable; on average, cows give 546 kg of milk in a lactation of 263 days, or approximately 2.07 kg per day, with an average fat content of 5%.[2]
