Among the currently existing varieties of cattle, the zebu stands out - an Indian animal with an unusual appearance. The species is not common in Europe and America, but Hindus have been raising the unpretentious and hardy cow for several millennia and consider it a sacred creature. Zebu are calm, non-aggressive, do not require special care, are immune to most diseases typical of livestock, and provide humans with milk and meat.
Origin story
More than 75 breeds of zebu, differentiated by habitat, have been bred. But the homeland of the ancient species is India. Indian peasants were the first to start raising cattle. Over the many centuries of its existence, the animal has remained virtually unchanged in appearance. The Indian cow, adapted to living in a hot tropical climate, is a descendant of aurochs that lived in the territory of Hindustan and Europe in ancient times. According to another scientific version, the zebu is a separate species that is not related to the aurochs.
In past centuries, zebu were actively imported to Africa and Europe, where they were crossed with local breeds, producing hardy and productive individuals. The peak of breeding work occurred in the middle of the 20th century, and it got to the point where purebred zebu practically disappeared. The breeders realized it in time and managed to restore the number of representatives of the ancient breed.
General description and characteristics
Zebu is similar to an ordinary cow, but there are noticeable differences in certain appearance 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. The accumulated fat is consumed when the cow eats poorly for a long time.
A description of the zebu's appearance is given in the table:
| Head | proportional to the body, classic shape, on a long, strong, sinewy neck |
| Torso | massive, slightly awkward, with well-developed muscles (especially when used for draft purposes), the back is straight, the chest is wide and voluminous |
| Limbs | strong, with developed muscles, adapted for long-term movement |
| Horns | long, slightly curved, longer in African breeds than in Asian breeds |
| Skin | dark gray, almost black in areas most exposed to sunlight, dense, rough, with a large fold of skin hanging from the chest |
| Wool | short, the arrangement of hairs is rare, which has a positive effect on thermoregulation |
| Color | white, grey, light brown, red or mottled |
Species of Zebu
Zebu bred as farm livestock are divided into 2 types:
- Dwarf, less than 1 m in height. An adult cow weighs about 150 kg. Visually, the animal seems decorative, but, like its normal-sized relatives, it supplies humans with milk and meat and has a strong and resilient body.
- Common, reaching 1.5 m in height at the withers. The physique is massive, stocky. 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 rays of the 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.
Habitats
Zebu are cows adapted to tropical climates. Historically, representatives of the species were bred in India. Later, the animals spread throughout Africa, ending up on the island of Madagascar, where they became the most valuable agricultural species. Today, zebu cows are also common in China, the Korean Peninsula, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and the countries of Western Asia. Livestock is raised in South American countries; there are quite large livestock in Brazil.
The species has not yet become widespread in Eastern Europe and Russia. Buying an animal is problematic; there are several breeders of zebu and mixed breeds throughout the country. A calf is expensive; for one individual you will have to pay about 300 thousand rubles.
How to properly keep and care for animals
The zebu cow is not capricious, it is content with primitive conditions of detention, while its health and productivity do not suffer at all. She doesn't need a lot of space in the barn. Caring for the animal is simple, including regular brushing and checking the body for injuries and dirt. Hoofs clogged with pebbles and dirt 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 can tolerate the heat without problems; direct sunlight does not harm their health. Therefore, the herd can be kept outdoors all day long.Immunity to heat is due to abundant salivation, large drooping ears, and an abundance of sweat glands on the skin, which provide excellent thermoregulation.
Nutrition
Zebu eats what an ordinary cow would not eat, finds food where another animal would not even graze. The main food is grass in the pasture. Also, the Indian cow readily consumes thin twigs, tree and shrub foliage, dried shoots, forest litter, reeds and other coastal vegetation - and all this is easily digested by the animal’s strong digestive tract.
When kept in stalls, the cow consumes hay, straw, bran, cake, root vegetables, and grain. Vitamin and mineral supplements should only be included in the diet after consultation with a veterinarian. The specifics of nutrition affect the quality of meat; in zebu it is tough, 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 arid climates, can go without water for a long time. Their stomach easily digests dry food, and the animal does not suffer from thirst. But when exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, the cow needs to drink.
Reproduction
Pregnancy in a zebu cow lasts 280-285 days, but the duration of gestation depends on the breed, living conditions, quality of feeding, and 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 once every 1.5 years, African cows - once every 2 years.
Over the course of her life, a cow gives birth to 8-10 calves. There is always one cub in a 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, stands on its feet and follows its mother. By the age of 6 months, the calf’s scar has healed, which means the diet changes from child to adult.
Frequent illnesses
The zebu has excellent immunity and a resilient body. Indian cows, unlike their European relatives, are not infected with foot and mouth disease, brucellosis, and tuberculosis. The digestive tract is also strong, its work is disrupted only when feeding low-quality, spoiled food.
In rare cases, animals become ill:
- 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 lesions of the skin and claw cavities;
- demodicosis - a parasitic disease caused by ticks;
- scabies.
Zebus live up to 20 years. Some individuals become long-livers, living up to 35 years.
Meaning for humans
In India, zebu are dairy cattle. The cow produces relatively little milk, the average annual milk yield is 800-1000 liters.But the quality of the milk is high; the product contains 8% milk fat. No other type of milk contains such a high concentration of phosphoric acid. In most countries, zebu is bred for its meat. The color of the meat is dark red, the structure is tough, the fat content is low, after heat treatment the taste becomes high.
In Africa and Asia, zebu is used as a draft animal. A bull is taught to carry loads from the age of 2, and the animal is loaded to the maximum from the age of 5. Peasants try to spare their cattle, use them for work in the morning and evening hours when the sun is not scorching, and do not force bulls to work longer than 6 hours.
In India and Madagascar, the zebu is a sacred animal. Only in India is the cow, symbolizing fertility and abundance, respected and revered; killing it is considered a terrible sin. Hindus do not even allow themselves to shout and swear at the sacred animal. But the inhabitants of Madagascar eat zebu meat, and the cow itself is slaughtered as a sacrificial animal at funerals.
