Identifying Desi/ Indigenous Cow

Identifying Desi or Indigenous Cattle:

The native breed of cows of Indian subcontinent are referred to as Desi Cow (Bos indicus).

These cows can be easily distinguished from other foreign breed cows by certain morphological characters.

Few Characterstics are as follow:

1.)Presence of Hump: Hallmark of Indigenous cows is presence of a prominent hump. Female counterparts have comparitively smaller humps. And few dwarf hill cattle may not have a prominent hump.

2.)Dewlap: refers to loose skin fold hanging from the neck. It helps in Thermoregulation. Its a sign of healthy and high milk yeilding cow.

3.)Loose skin under belly: is Charactrestic feature of good milching cows.

4.) Temperament or Behaviour: Desi cows are very docile ad freindly in nature. They are more active and intelligent than european cows. Moreover they have more motherly instinct towards their calves.

5.)Long Ears: This feature is more evident in North indian cattle. Some Southern breeds may have short ears but indigenous cows have capability to rotate them freely.

6.)Eyes: Their eyes secrete oily substances which repel insects. Sometimes these secretions are confused with tears.

Foreign cows have monstrous eyes while desi cows appear calm and serene with pleasant eyes ( which look like as if kajal has been applied).

7.) Tail: It almost touches the ground and desi cows can rotate it more than a semicircle or 180 degrees.

8.)Dung: Dung is semi solid and NOT liquidy like that of foreign cattle. Dung is insect repellant and possess useful bacteria.

AN IDEAL DESI COW WOULD LOOK LIKE AS FOLLOWS: