Punganur cattle, also known as Punganur pygmy cattle hails from Chitur district in Andhra Pradesh, South India. The breed is one of the smallest breeds of humpback cattle in the world.
It is named after its home town, Punganur, in the Chittor region located at the southeastern tip of the Deccan Plateau.
The Punganur cattle breed is on the brink of extinction, there are few animals left. And these remaining animals are bred mainly at Palamanera breeding station in Chittoor district at SV Veterinary University.
The breed is not officially recognized as a breed, as only a few animals remain. Punganur cattle are mainly known for their high quality milk rich in medicinal properties. Today, the breed is quite rare. Learn more about this breed below.
Characteristics of Punganura Cattle
Punganura cattle are smaller animals that are white and light gray in color. Sometimes they can also be light brown to dark brown or red.
They have a broad forehead and short horns. Their horns are crescent-shaped and often curve back and forth in bulls and side to side and forward in cows.
The average growth of Punganur cattle is around 70-90 cm and the bulls weigh around 225 kg on average. And the average live weight of cows is about 115 kg. Photos from the Dairy Knowledge Portal and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
Punganura cattle are mainly used for milk production. Their milk contains a large amount of fat and is rich in medicinal properties.
Special Notes
Punganur cattle are very hardy animals. They are known for their quality dairy products. Their milk has a higher fat content than the milk of other breeds of cattle. Generally, cow’s milk contains 3 to 5% fat.
But Punganur cow’s milk contains about 8% fat. The breed is very drought tolerant and can survive on dry forage. On average, cows can produce around 3 to 5 kg of milk per day.
And their daily dose of food is 5 kg. See the complete profile of this breed in the following table.
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| Breed name | Punganur | |
| another name | Punganur pygmy cattle | |
| Purpose of the breed | Milk | |
| Special Notes | Solid, frost resistant, drought resistant | |
| Breed size | Little | |
| Bulls | About 225kg | |
| cows | About 115kg | |
| climatic tolerance | All climates | |
| coat color | Mainly white and light gray | |
| horned | Yes | |
| milk production | Good | |
| scarcity | Ordinary parts | |
| Country/place of origin | India |
