EXOTIC CATTLE

BREEDS
1 Friesian

Jersey

Ayrshire
2
INTRODUCTION
 Cattle are the most common type of large
domesticated ungulates. Cattle are raised as
livestock for meat (beef and veal), as dairy animals
for milk and other dairy products, and as draft
animals (oxen or bullocks) (pulling carts, plows and
the like). Other products include leather and dung
for manure or fuel. In some regions, such as parts
of India, cattle have significant religious meaning.

3
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata

 Class: Mammalia

 Subclass: Theria

 Infraclass: Eutheria

 Order: Artiodactyla

 Family: Bovidae

 Subfamily: Bovinae

 Genus: Bos

 Species: B. taurus
4
 Subspecies: B. t. primigenius,
B. t. indicus
FRIESIAN CATTLE

5
FRIESIAN CATTLE
 Origin: Germany/Netherlands
 Morphological Features:

 They are large, black-and-white marked animals.

 Vary from mostly black to mostly white, or they can
also be red and white.
 A healthy calf weighs 40 to 45 kg or more at birth.

 A mature Holstein cow typically weighs 580 kg &

stands 147 cm tall at the shoulder.

6
 Friesians should be bred by 13 to 15 months of
age, when they weigh over 360 kg.
 Breeders plan for Holstein heifers to calve for the
first time between 23 and 26 months of age.
 The gestation period is about nine and a half
months.
 500 -800 Kg

 450-600 Kg

 Milk production- 28,000lbs./12,700kg (~3260

gallons) per cycle

7
MILK PRODUCTION
 The breed currently averages 7655 litres/year
throughout 3.2 lactations, with pedigree animals
averaging 8125 litres/year over an average of 3.43
lactations.
 By adding, lifetime production therefore stands at
around 26,000 litres.

8
9
FEEDS FOR FRIESIANS
 Pasture can be a major source of feed for dairy
cows but there are some limitations to its use.
Energy and protein supplies are the most essential
components in animal nutrition and, in many
tropical countries, these components are often the
critical limiting factors to animal production.

10
JERSEY CATTLE

11
ORIGIN
• The Jersey breed originated on the Island
of Jersey, a small British island in the
English Channel off the coast of France.
• The Jersey is one of the oldest dairy
breeds, having been reported by
authorities as being purebred for nearly
six centuries

12
MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES

Colouration:
 Jersey cattle coat colour ranges from a light fawn to almost
black.
 Some Jerseys may have white on them, from diamond-
shaped patches on their shoulders or hips, to white legs and a
stripe from the top of the shoulder down to behind the elbows.
 Black Jerseys almost always has a tan-coloured saddle in the
middle of their backs, from the withers to the top of the loins.
 They also have lighter colouration around their noses and
eyes, and on the inside of each leg. A lot of fawn-coloured
mature cattle have a darker face from just below their poll or
just above their eye-brows to just before their noses.
 All Jerseys have dark eyes and dark pigmented skin around
their eyes and their noses.
 They also have black hooves and a dark tail-switch.
13
Body type and characteristics:
 Jerseys look to be more finer-boned and bodied than
most any beef breed.
 Jerseys are quite angular in body type because they
are selected to be a milk-producer and not a beef-
producer.
 They have funnel butt characteristics , and are quite
thin and bony .
 Jerseys are smaller built cattles

Head characteristics:
 Jersey cows are very feminine looking animals, with a
finer, more feminine head
 Jerseys are a naturally horned breed, though there are
genetics for polled cattle as well. 14
Male :
• Jersey bulls, while small as
compared to the other dairy
breeds, are extremely masculine.
• They are quite muscular about their
crests and shoulders and are
considerably less refined
throughout than are the females.
• The same general qualities of
straight lines and diary
conformation as are found in the
cows are desired in bulls.
• Jersey bulls are known for having
the least docile temperament of the
common breeds of cattle. 15
 WEIGHTS
 Male : 540 - 820 Kg
 Female : 400 – 500 Kg
 Milk production- 16,000lbs./7,260kg (~1860
gallons) per cycle


16
 Milk
 Of all major dairy breeds, the Jersey's milk boasts
the richest content. The milk is very high in
butterfat, which provides a better-tasting product.
It's also used for making cheese and butter.
According to the American Jersey Cattle
Association (AJCA), compared to the average glass
of milk, that produced by a Jersey contains 15 to 20
percent more protein, 15 to 18 percent more
calcium and 10 to 12 percent more phosphorus,
along with high amounts of vitamin B12.
17
MILK PRODUCTION
 Jersey cows are outstanding milk producers, producing
more milk per each pound of body weight than other
types of bovines. The record for milk production by one
cow is held by a Jersey. The Jersey produces more milk
on less feed than other dairy breeds, eating about 80
percent of a Holstein's normal daily intake Milk yield –
5000-8000 kg
 Dairy milk yield is found to be 20 liter whereas Problem
of milk fever in older cows
 High fat and protein yield (4.0-5.0% fat and 4.0%
protein)
 Yellow color milk due to high fat
18
 cross bred jersey, cow gives 8-10 liter per day.
SPECIAL FEATURES

 The ability to carry a larger number of effective milking

cows per unit area due to lower body weight, so lower
maintenance requirements, and superior grazing
ability.
 High fertility
 The ability to thrive on locally produced food.
 Adaptable to hot climates.
 Jerseys produces a pound of milk components at a
lower cost compared to the other major breeds.
 Has little or no calving problems, greater fertility, a
shorter calving interval, and earlier maturity
19
 Stay in the herd longer than any other dairy breed.
 Jersey milk has greater nutritional value, plus the highest yield
and greater efficiency when processed into cheese and other
value-added products.
 Milk commands a premium price in many markets.
 Jerseys perform well under a wide range of systems and are
well-known for their high feed conversion efficiency
 Jersey milk is in many ways unique. As a product it contains:-
18% more protein, 20% more calcium, 25% more butterfat than
"average" milk.
 Jerseys are well-known to be less susceptible to lameness
because of their black hoof colour which makes their hooves very
hard and are a lighter breed.
 Jerseys are thought to have the one of the best temperaments
among, the dairy breeds, although a lot of this depends on the
handling the animals receive.

20
AYRSHIRE CATTLE

21
INTRODUCTION
 Ayrshire cattle are breed of dairy cattle originating
from Ayrshire in south west Scotland.
 They are known for their ability to convert grass into
milk efficiently & their hardiness.
 The breed was traditionally known as Dunlop cattle
or Cunninghame cattle.

22
 They were exported to all parts of the world &
extensive cattle docks used to exist at Cunningham
head station for loading & export purposes.

23
MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES
 Body color:- Brown and white patches in almost equal
amounts with some cows tending to dark mahogany
colour.The skin is pliable & soft with fine silky hair . The
bone structure is fine & flat being proportionate to body
weight.

24
 Average body size:- Large (average live-weight 450kg.

 They are strong, rugged cattle

 Weight:- Male: 635 to 900 kilograms .

 Female: 450 to 600 kilograms

 Milk production- 17,000lbs./7,711kg (~2000 gallons) of
milk per 305 day-cycle/year

25
MILK PRODUCTION
 Ayrshire milk is referred as "the ideal drinking milk";
it is not excessively rich, not lacking adequate fat,
and it possesses desirable quantities of proteins.
 Potential yield: 30 Litres/day

 Annual dairy production-3000 litres with butter fat of

4.7%

26
 Distribution in Sri Lanka
 Many factors influence the distribution of cattle farming
in Sri Lanka such as, the agro-ecological zones,
proximity to markets and feed resources. Milk
production systems vary between and within agro-
ecological zones. Based on the rainfall pattern and
altitude, the country is divided into three main agro-
ecological zones namely, low country, mid country and
the up-country and, the low and mid country regions
again being divided into wet zone, intermediate zone
and a dry zone. The wet mid- and up-country areas are
often perceived as the main dairy producing areas of Sri
Lanka (Census of Agriculture, 2002).
27
 Up-country region receives >2000mm mean
annual rainfall and temperature ranges from 10oC
to 32oC which is a suitable climatic and
topographical environment for European breeds
(Ibrahim et al., 1999). The government and private
sectors have large cattle farms of European breeds,
primarily the Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian in the
up-country wet and intermediate zone areas that
have a high dairy potential.
 Jersey and Friesian are also suitable in mid
country.
COMPARISON
Friesian Jersey Ayrshire
Origin Netherlands Jersey Scotland
Weight (male) 500 -800 Kg 540 - 820 Kg 635 to 900 Kg
Weight (Female) 450-600 Kg 400 – 500 Kg 450 to 600 Kg
Milk production 28,000lbs./12,70 16,000lbs./7,260 17,000lbs./7,711
0kg (~3260 kg (~1860 kg (~2000
gallons) per gallons) per gallons) of milk
cycle cycle per 305 day-
cycle/year
Butterfat (Milk) 2.5-3.6% 4.9% 3.9%
Protein content 3.2% 3.7% 3.3%
(milk)

29
DISEASES
 ANAPLASMOSIS
 ANTHRAX

 RINGWORM

 BLACKLEG

 BRUCELLOSIS

30
ANAPLASMOSIS

 Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious blood

disease in cattle caused by the rickesttsial parasites
Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale.
The intracellular parasite destroys red blood
cells. It causes anemia, fever, weight loss,
breathlessness, uncoordinated movements,
abortion and death

31
ANTHRAX

 Anthrax, a highly infectious and fatal disease of

mammals and humans, is caused by a relatively
large spore-forming rectangular shaped bacterium
called Bacillus anthracis. The predominant sign in
cattle with anthrax is a progression from a normal
appearance to dead in a matter of hours. Most
animals are simply found dead

32
RINGWORM

 Ringworm is a transmissible infectious skin disease

caused most often by Trichophyton verrucosum, a
spore forming fungi.

33
BLACKLEG

 Blackleg is a highly fatal disease of young cattle

caused by the spore forming, rod shaped, gas
producing bacteria Clostridium chauvoei. Cattle
that are on a high plane of nutrition, rapidly gaining
weight and between 6 months and 2 years of age
are most susceptible to the disease.

34
BRUCELLOSIS

 Brucellosis of cattle, also known as "contagious

abortion" and "Bangs disease", is caused by
infection with the bacterium Brucella abortus, which
can also cause a disease of humans known as
"undulant fever". Infected cows frequently suffer
from retained afterbirth, are difficult to get rebred
and sometimes become sterile.

35
 THANK YOU
36