Punganur cows

Standing at just around 70-90 cm tall and weighing less than 200 kg, it is among the world’s most dwarf cattle breeds.

It is native to Punganur village in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
It has high resilience to drought and can adapt to low-quality feed.
It is also prized for its milk, which boasts a higher fat content, making it ideal for producing ghee.
- A Punganur cow can give around 1 to 3 litres a day, and the milk fat content is 8 percent as compared to 3 to 4 percent in other native breeds.
- The milk is also rich in nutrients such as Omega fatty acids, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Body colour: It is white, grey, or light brown to dark brown or red in colour. Sometimes, animals with white colour mixed with red, brown, or black patches are also seen.
It has a broad forehead and short horns. The horns are crescent-shaped and often lose curving backward and forward in males and lateral and forward in females.
Punganur cows are considered eco-friendly, requiring less water, feed, and space compared to hybrid breeds.

Cultural Significance: Even today, many temples in Andhra Pradesh, including the famous Tirupati Thirumala Temple, use the milk of a Punganur cow for Ksheeraabhishekam (milk offering to the deity).

India has 50 Indigenous Bovine Breeds (37 Cattle and 13 Buffaloes).

- Milch Breeds: Specifically raised for milk production.
  - Examples: Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and Rathi.
- Milch and Draught Breeds: Draught cattle are employed for heavy labor purposes, aiding in agricultural activities such as plowing and transportation.
  - Examples: Kankrej, Ongole, and Hariana.

Specialty of Indian Cows:

- Hump: It is an exclusive characteristic of the Indian Desi bulls and cows and facilitates them to carry loads without effort, while the foreign breeds do not have a hump.
- Dewlap: It is a fold of loose skin hanging from the neck of an animal. The Indigenous Cattle have a high heat resistance from their extensive Dewlaps.
- Dung: The dung of Indian breeds of cows is used in agriculture, medicine, etc., whereas the dung of foreign breeds is of no use.

Source: vikaspedia

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