What is a Gir Cow? Understanding this unique breed
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Gir Cow is an indigenous breed of cattle, native to the Gir forest region in the Indian state of Gujarat.
How to identify a Gir Cow?
This breed is known to be docile, hardy, and adaptable to the climate and environment. Resilience to various tropical diseases and stressful conditions is also one of its prime features. These Cows have an average lifespan of 15-17 years and can give birth to 8-10 calves during their lifetime.
How does a Gir Cow look?
Gir Cows are known for their distinctive appearance, which includes a hump on their back with large ears that curve inward. They are reddish-brown or white in color with a long, thin tail. They typically have long and curved horns that grow upward and outward from the sides of their head. However, the size and shape of the horns vary depending on the age, gender, and genetic makeup of the Cow. It also has a loose fold of the skin that hangs from the neck which is known as Dewlap. It is also considered to be an important physical characteristic to identify the Gir breed. An average Gir bull weighs around 550-650 kg with average height of around 1.35m, while a Cow weighs about 400-475 kg and has a height of about 1.30m. The curved hump is said to possess Surya-Ketu Nadi and Chandra-Ketu Nadi. This helps absorb and synthesize the sun rays and moon rays and is also one of the reasons why milk and milk products of humped Cows are yellowish in color and full of minerals and vitamins.
What are indigenous breeds?
Indigenous breed Cows, also known as native or local breed Cows, refer to cattle breeds that have developed over centuries in a specific geographic region. These breeds have adapted to the local climate, vegetation, management practices, and have certain characteristics that distinguish them from foreign or cross breed Cows. Their milk is also considered to have significant nutrients compared to foreign Cows. Indigenous Cows from various regions are Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, Kankrej, Thararkar, Ongole etc. Gir is considered to be one of the best breeds amongst Indigenous Cows.
Indigenous breeds v/s Foreign breeds:
Indigenous breeds mainly differ from Foreign breed Cows in aspects like their appearance, adaptability to the environment, quality and quantity of milk, etc.. Let’s have a look at the detailed comparison given below:
| Gir Cow | Foreign/Hybrid Cow |
|---|---|
| It has a hump at the back | Hump is Missing. |
| It has a Dewlap | No Dewlap |
| A2 milk produced by these Cows is rich in A2 protein and good for health | They produce mixture of A1 and A2 protein, its milk has BCM 7 which can contribute to heart diseases, cancer, autism, etc. |
| They are healthy and are less prone to diseases. | They are vulnerable to diseases |
| These Cows can adapt to most environmental conditions naturally. | It is difficult for them to survive in extreme weather conditions |
| These cows can adapt any environmental conditions. | These cow requires heater in cold season and cooler in summer season. |
| In its total lifespan, they can give birth to around 8-10 calves. | They can give birth to around 4-7 calves only. |
| Their milk is considered as the best milk after mother’s milk and is highly nutritive | Their milk holds low nutritional value |
| On an average, they produce 8-10 litres of milk per day | On an average, they produce 25-30 litres of milk per day |
Just owning a Gir Cow is not sufficient. Creating a suitable environment and implementing a systematic infrastructure is crucial for producing high-quality A2 Gir Cow Milk and other A2 Gir Cow products. Stay tuned for our upcoming blog where we will delve into the specifics of achieving this.
