Sahiwal cattle

The Sahiwal is a breed of zebuine cattle indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent. It is named after Sahiwal District of the Punjab province of present-day Pakistan,^[4] and is distributed mainly in that province of Pakistan and in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

Sahiwal

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 145  DAD-IS (2025): not at risk[2][3]
Other names	Lambi Bar Lola Montgomery Ravi Teli[4][2]
Country of origin	India Pakistan
Distribution	27 countries in 4 continents
Use	dairy meat draught
Traits
Weight	Male: average 544 kg[2] Female: average 408 kg[2]
Height	Male: 170 cm[2] Female: 130 cm[2]
Coat	reddish dun
Horn status	horned
Cattle Bos (primigenius) indicus

History

The Sahiwal has been exported to many countries. These include: Burundi, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, the Seychelles and Uganda in Africa; Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam in Asia: Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia in America.^[5][6] Seven countries have reported population data in recent years, and from this the world population is estimated to be about 4.25 million;^[5] Pakistan has not reported population numbers since 2006, when the total herd numbered over 2.75 million head.^[2] The large numbers reported may include cross-bred as well as pure-bred stock.^[7]: 288

Characteristics

The Sahiwal is of small to medium size:^[8]: 386 in Pakistan, average body weights are 544 kg for bulls and 408 kg for cows, while heights at the withers are 170 cm and 130 cm respectively;^[2] in India cows are reported to be considerably smaller, with an average weight of 327 kg and withers height of 124 cm.^[3] The coat is a reddish dun, sometimes with white markings.^[4] In bulls, the hump is large and may lean to the side; the crown of the head is domed, particularly in bulls; and the horns are small.^[7]: 288 It is a heat-tolerant cattle breed.^[9]

Use

It is a triple-purpose breed, reared for its milk, for its meat and for draught work.^[8]: 386 It has been much used for cross-breeding, often with European dairy breeds such as the Friesian and Jersey.^[7]: 288 It has contributed to the development of a number of other breeds, among them the Australian Friesian Sahiwal or Australian Frieswal, the Australian Milking Zebu, the Australian Sahiwal, the Frieswal, the Jamaica Hope, the Karan Swiss, the Kenya Sahiwal, the Mpwapwa and the Quasah.^{[10]: 101 [8]: 586}