Kankrej cow Photo: Divya Mudappa · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗

Kankrej cattle (Gujarat draft-dairy)

Kankrej is one of the heaviest and most powerful Indian zebu breeds, prized as a true dual-purpose animal — bulls are first-class for heavy ploughing and cart work, and cows give a moderate-to-good quantity of rich milk. Registered with the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), it is the foundation Indian breed behind Brazil's Guzerá, which is widely used in tropical beef and dairy crossbreeding.

Origin and distribution

The home tract is the Banaskantha, Mehsana, Patan and Sabarkantha districts of north Gujarat and the adjoining Barmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan. Pedigree herds are maintained at government farms in Sanand and Tharad, and the breed is being propagated under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Through artificial insemination (Artificial Insemination Cattle) Kankrej has spread into Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra for drought-zone dual-purpose dairying.

Appearance

Kankrej animals are large and powerful with a silver-grey to iron-grey coat that turns almost black on the head, shoulders, hump and quarters in mature bulls. The forehead is broad and slightly dished, horns are strong, lyre-shaped and out-curving with the tips often blunted, and ears are large and drooping. The hump is well developed in bulls and the dewlap is heavy. Adult cows weigh 350–400 kg and bulls 540–600 kg. A long, swinging "1-2-1-2" trot — called "sawai chal" — makes Kankrej bullocks famous for road haulage.

Productivity

Lactation yield averages 1,400–1,800 kg over 300 days, with elite cows recording 3,500 kg or more in organised farms. Milk fat is typically 4.5–5.0%. Age at first calving is 36–48 months and the inter-calving interval is 13–16 months. Bullocks routinely pull 1,000–1,500 kg cart loads over long distances and are highly valued in the cotton and groundnut tracts of north Gujarat. Heat and tick tolerance is excellent.

Management

Kankrej does well on rotational grazing, sorghum/maize stover and cluster-bean haulm; 2.0–2.5 kg concentrate per cow per day plus 400 g per litre of milk is standard for milking animals. Working bullocks need an additional 1.5–2.0 kg of concentrate on work days. Loose housing with an open paddock suits the breed; sheds should provide shade and mineral-salt licks. Breeding is by natural service in villages and by artificial insemination at organised farms.

Sources

Kankrej — NBAGR breed profile. ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal.
Kankrej — Dairy Knowledge Portal. National Dairy Development Board.