Gir Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Gir cow is a breed of cattle that is raised by nomadic tribes of the state using them for their basic livelihood. They are the oldest breed in India they are also a pure breed of cow that belongs to the Zebu type cow group with a hump and a loose dewlap. The Gir cow achieved international status thanks to Brazil supplying improved cattle embryos and semen to countries such as the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela. The Gir cow is considered one of the best dairy cow breeds in the world.

GIR COW BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
Gir cows are a very unique cattle breed with lots of special characteristics that make them an excellent breed for any farming environment.
Country of Origin:	India
Other Names:	Gyr, Bhodali, Sorthi, Surti, Desan, and Kathiawari
Main Purpose:	Milk
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Can be used for	Breed, Milk
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most Climates
Conservation Status:	Not listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Rare in the States and are listed by the FAO
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	Gir Breeders Association
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to the Gir Breeders Association for more information on the Gir cattle breed
Where to buy them?	>Please refer to the Gir Breeders Association for more information on the Gir cattle breed
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	They say the Gir cow is worth its weight in gold and it is no joke! Four years of extensive research on the Gir by scientists at the Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU) say they found traces of gold in the Gir cows’ urine. Between 3 mg to 10 mg of gold, a trace was found in 1liter of the breed urine. The test was run on 400 Gir cows at the Food Testing Laboratory of JAU. It was found in what is known as an ionic form which means gold salts that are soluble in water. The test was prompted by ancient scriptures that laid references to the healing properties or medicinal properties of the cow’s urine. The scripture also speaks of the presence of gold in the urine. Other animals such as camels, buffalos, sheep, and goats were also tested but there no traces of antibiotic compounds. The Gir cow urine has 388 compounds in their urine that immense medicinal value that is believed to be able to cure several ailments. They are also analyzing the other 39 indigenous cattle breeds in India to see if they have the same properties as the Gir cattle have. There are conservation and breed improvements projects currently being undertaken to improve on the breeds current condition and to conserve the Gir cattle breed. Gir cattle are used to cart large quantities of sand, stone, etc.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Gir cattle or cow is considered to be one of the largest dairy cattle breeds in India. They have a medium to a large sized frame with a well-proportioned body that is not the typical block cow shape but rather more rounded with a leaner muscle. They have a lot of soft loose skin and their coats are thin, fine and quite silky to the touch. Their skin secretes sebum which is a fluid that repels insects. Their facial structure is quite unique in that the face is long narrow with a bulging or convex shaped forehead. They have long lopped shaped tubular ears and long sturdy legs. Both the male and female have a hump between their shoulder blades with the males being bigger and more defined than the females. Both sexes have a long loose dewlap and dark colored noses and feet.

Size:

Medium to large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Yellow, red, white or black	Yellow, red, white or black
Breed Weight:	400 to 475 kgs	550 to 650 kgs
Breed Height:	1.30 m	1.35 m
Horns:	They have thick horns that grow out from the head with a hard curl upwards and backward they are a creamy white and sometimes have a black tip	They have thick horns that grow out from the head with a hard curl upwards and backward they are a creamy white and sometimes have a black tip
Temperament:	The Gir cow is a very friendly special cow. They are calm, docile and love human attention. In fact, they love to be petted and brushed especially on their dewlap and backs	The Gir bull is a very friendly special cow. They are calm, docile and love human attention. In fact, they love to be petted and brushed especially on their dewlap and backs. But he is still a bull and extra caution should be taken around bulls at all times – never underestimate them!
Matures at age:	6 to 8 months or 9 + months	6 to 8 months or 9 + months
Puberty Age:	6 to 15 months	9 to 1o months
Breeding Age:	13 to 15 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Cow breeding & Milking Info	Cover 25 to 30 Cows in 1 season

COW BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
Most Cattle produce milk but not all of them are used in the dairy Cattle capacity for their milk. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. They are very fertile, give birth easily have a normal gestation and lactation period. They have little to no birthing problems and are incredibly good loving mothers with exemplary motherly instincts and will at all cost protect their young. Cows have been known to live to between 12 to 15 years producing calves up to 10 years of age. Their milk contains A-2 beta casein protein making the value of their milk quite high.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours Most ave. 12 to 16 hours Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days to 24 days Heifer – usually ave. 20 days Cows – usually ave. 21 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 279 to 287 days but most gestation is 283 days. Cows that are carrying bull calf’s their gestation period is usually a little longer than cows that are carrying heifer calves.
No. Calves/Litter:	1 calf at a time. Cows rarely have twins or triplets, but it can happen
Lactation Period:	Cows lactation period can last for up to about 10 months (305) days.
Milking From:	1 to 6 weeks after Calving
Drying off Period:	The cow should have a 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Drying off period for around 60 days before she can calve again.
Milk Quality:	Good, Butterfat = 4.69 – 4.97%, Protein = 3.9% Quantity: 1st lact. = 1600-1700 kg, 2nd+ = 1800 to 2000 kg per Lactation
Milk Ideal for:	Calves, drinking making of dairy products and is believed to have some advantages for health especially of people recovering from various illnesses.
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

They are not bred for their beef but rather for their milk production and carting.

Meat Production?

N/A

CATTLE ⇒	VEAL	BEEF
Ave. Maturity Age:	6 to 8 months	9 months up to 4 years

CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide. Gir Cattle are not used for their skin as they are not used for meat production.

Skin Production?

N/A

Skin is used to Produce:

Calf/cow skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, handbags, belts, furniture, rugs, etc.

CATTLE ⇒	CALF	ADULT
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months for Calf skin	1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

HISTORY

The Gir Cattle breed is famous for its milk and is one of India’s oldest pure-bred cattle breeds. It originates from the Gir hills and forest of Kathiawar Junagadh, Bhavnaga, Rajkot and Amerli districts of Gujarat.

The breed gets its name from the Gir forests which are its natural habitat.

They are famous for being able to survive in extreme tropical conditions and their tolerance to various high-stress conditions and good resistance to many tropical diseases.

They have successfully been imported into countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and the United States of America where the breed is doing quite well.