Shape And Size

Sahiwal cows are normally medium to large-sized cattle1. The average height of a Sahiwal cow is 4.5 to 5 feet at the shoulder2. The normal length of Sahiwal cattle is 140 to 165 cm, with females being slightly shorter and males slightly taller1. In some cases, bulls can be up to 170-180 cm long1.

The Sahiwal originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along central Punjab. They were once kept in large herds by professional herdsmen called "Charwahas". With the introduction of irrigation systems to the region. they began to be kept in smaller numbers by the farmers of the region, who used them as draught and dairy animals. Today the Sahiwal is one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. Sahiwal is calm when milking. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries as well as Africa and the Caribbean.

Due to its unique characteristics, Sahiwal breed is exported to wide list of countries and regions. The Sahiwal breed arrived in Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950s. In Australia, the Sahiwal breed was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian Milking Zebu and the Australian Friesian Sahiwal. Sahiwal cattle are now predominantly used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high-grade Sahiwal sires with European breeds produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover. Sahiwal bulls have demonstrated the ability to sire small, fast-growing calves, noted for their hardiness under unfavorable climatic conditions. The contribution of the Sahiwal breed to adaptability is well documented in Kenya, Jamaica, Guyana, Burundi, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and several ecological zones of Africa where Sahiwals have been crossed with exotic Bos taurus breeds that have a high response capability for milk and beef production but lack adaptability to local conditions. The present Sahiwal cattle in Kenya are descendants of some 60 bulls and 12 cows imported between 1939 and 1963. The Sahiwal breed also is considered unequalled in transmitted effects for milk production among Bos indicus breeds. Kenya is the main country in Africa with major resources of Bos indicus Sahiwal cattle and serves as an important source of stock and semen for the continent. Similarly, this breed is also exported to many other regions of Asia including India. The cows are the heaviest milkers of all zebu breeds and display a well-developed udder.[5][6][7] In Pakistan the breed is being conserved by the Research Centre for Conservation of Sahiwal Cattle.[8]

Now Sahiwal is a very good Indian milk breed. It is way better than any of the Tamil Nadu breeds when it comes to milk yield. Like any native breeds, it has much better thermoregulatory mechanism and hence better heat tolerance to our conditions. But that comes with few strings attached. I will explain. First and foremost aspect a budding dairy farmer has to look for when starting a dairy farm is to assess the local conditions. Since cows do not like heat at all, heat tolerance must be the most essential criteria, especially in a very hot and humid state like ours. So the main indicator you need to look out for is what is called as Temperature Humidity Index (THI). This is how it looks for dairy cattle: