umblachery cattle
DESCRIPTION
Umblachery, Cattle. Native breed of TamilnaduTRANSCRIPT
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
THIRUVARUR
HEALTHY ANIMALS
WEALTHY RETURNS
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
THIRUVARUR
DISTRICT COLLECTOR
THIRUVARUR
UMBLACHERY CATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
THIRUVARUR
THIRU.S.NATARAJAN,I.A.S
DISTRICT COLLECTOR
THIRUVARUR.
UMBLACHERY CATTLE
UMBLACHERY CATTLE(Bos Indicus)
Umblachery cattle breed is an excellent draught breed of Tamil Nadu for its strength and
sturdiness.
This breed is the native of coastal districts ie. Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts of
Tamilnadu.
This breed is the outcome of selection for short stature suitable for work in marshy paddy
fields of eastern districts of Tamilnadu,India.
Total estimated population of Umblachery cattle in its breeding tract is 2,83,000.The
breedable females,breeding bulls and bullocks constituted 41.66 % , 0.26 % and 24 %
respectively.The average herd size is three animals.This is medium sized draught cattle.
HABITAT AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
The name Umblachery has been derived from its place of origin ie. Umblachery village in
Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. Umblachery cattle were distributed in coastal region
Thiruvarur and Part of Nagapattinam districts of eastern TamilNadu.
Distribution of Umblachery cattle in Tamil Nadu
Typical Umblachery animals are seen in Thiruthuraipoondi union of Thiruvarur district and
Keelaiyur, Thalainayar unions of Nagapattinam district.
The home tract of Umblachery cattle is located approximately between 10 0 18' and 10 0 54'
N and between 79 0 18' and 79 0 48' E with an estimated total area of 3500 square
kilometers. The elevation of home tract ranges from 0 to 50 meters above the mean sea
level.
The mean maximum and minimum temperatures were 32.7 C and 25.1 C respectively.
The home tract received a total annual rainfall of 1107.36 mm in 87 rainy days in the year
2011-12.
Morphological characteristics
Medium sized draught animal.
Calves are red or brown in colour at birth,
Calf at birth (brown colour)
Red colour begins to change to grey
Red colour begins to change to grey at three to four months of age.
Total grey colour is generally attained at six to eight months of age.
COW - GREY COLOUR
Heifers and cows are grey.
In the majority of cows the dark grey colour is present on the face ,neck and pelvic
regions.
In young males ,darkening of hump,fore and hind quarters of the body occurs at the
age of two years.
Bulls are grey in colour with dark grey on the head, back and pelvic regions.
WHITE STAR ON FORE HEAD
SWITCH WHITE , SOCKS APPEARANCE IN LEGS , HUMP
After castration the dark part of the body begins to change to grey colour in about
four months.
UMBLACHERY BULLOCK-GREY COLOUR
The forehead is fairly broad and always has a prominent white star.
Horns are medium in thickness short and pointed.In adults curving horns are seen in
most of the animals.
UMBLACHERY COW-TYPICAL EAR AND HORN
The ears are short ,erect and horizontally placed.
The hump is fairly developed medium in size in bullocks, well developed in bulls and
small in cows.
COW-TUCKED UP ABDOMEN, SMALL UDDER
The dewlap is short,thin and extent upto sternum.
The legs are short, straight and with white markings called socks or stockings.
The hooves are strong ,small and black in colour or partly or wholly white in colour.
The animals are straight and narrow back.
The tail is long and tapers gradually below hock and the switch of the tail is white or
partially white.
The naval flap is inconspicuous and penile sheath in males is well tuckedup to the
abdomen.
The udder is small and bowl shaped and tuckedup with the abdomen.
Teats are small and well set apart.
The principal body measurement reveals that this breed of cattle is of medium size
and smaller than other breeds of Tamilnadu.
A whorl is seen on the hump.
These are thin skin coated animals having short and silky hairs.
These cattle usually walk like a parade.
Have Straight looking head.
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF UMBLACHERY CATTLE
This breed is suitable for marshy paddy fields in this delta region because of its
medium size.
The bullocks are capable of doing work for six to seven hours under the hot sun.
A pair of Bullocks are able to pull a total load on a cart an average of 2000 kgs over a
distance of 20 kilometre in seven hours.
MARSHY PADDY FIELD PLOUGHING
Bullocks are used for ploughing, carting,threshing and levelling the marshy field.
Pure breeding of Umblachery breed is done by natural mating and through artificial
insemination using the frozen semen .
The cows are capable of producing one calf per year upto 10 calves in its life span.
The fat percentage of this breed cows milk is ranging from 4.5 % to 5.5 % and more
tastier than other breed of cows milk.(SNF 8%)
When compare to crossbred animals Umblachery cattle are more resistant to
infectious diseases.
Umblachery cows are capable of giving 2.5 litre milk perday ie 1.5 litre in the morning
and 1 litre in the evening.
Cows lactation period is around 8 months.
By instant skin twitching it avoids flies and other insects to sit on its body.This is a
typical character in this breed only.
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Farmers adopted both closed and open type of housing mostly kutcha type with mud
flooring and walls.Animals were housed in the night hours only. In day times animals
are allowed for grazing.Paddy straw is main staple fodder for Umblachery cattle.
After harvesting of paddy ( January-February) herdmen collect the animals from
various villages and maintain them on grazing for six months upto june.
During night these herds were penned on agricultural fields for manure collection
purpose and herdmen sell the collected manure from the pen.
The herd size usually ranged from 250 to 400 animals.
Cows and heifers in the herd entirely bred naturally by one or two bulls.
The male calves were dehorned at 10-12 months of age using hot iron rod.
During dehorning pruning of ears was also practiced.
At the time of Castration hot iron branding was done across both sides of the gluteal
region.
The branding is done that the farmers believes the vigor of the bullock will increase
and also for disease resistance.
Bulls are allowed to breed at 3.5 to 4 years old.
Castration of bulls done at the age about 2.5 to 3 years old by country method using
two wooden rods crushing testicles or by using Burdizzo castrator.
Vaccination is done against Black Quarter disease and Foot and Mouth Disease and
Anthrax for these cattle regularly.
Umblachery cattle breed has its own divisions namely
1.ATTUKKARI MADU
2.GANAPATHIYAN MADU
3.VENNA MADU
4.SOORYANKATTU MADU
These names are derived from the original early breeders of this breed and the
geographical area of that animals where they were reared.
CATTLE FARM AT KORUKAI FOR UMBLACHERY BREED IMPROVEMENT
The Government of Tamilnadu has established a farm in 1954 at Orathanadu
(Tanjore district) to develop this breed.And then a new farm was later started in
Korukai near Umblachery village to conserve Umblachery breed in its home tract.
Through Tamil Nadu Livestock Development Agency 40 heifers were distributed to
Umblachery Cattle Herders Association members at free of cost during 2004 for
preserving the germplasm of native breed. The Animal Husbandry Department
Frozen semen bank at Exotic cattle breeding farm Eachankottai is maintaining
Umblachery bulls and collecting semen stored in liquid nitrogen and distributing the
frozen semen straws to veterinary institution for artificial insemination to increase
the umblachery cattle population in Thanjavur ,Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam
districts.
UMBLACHERY CATTLE HERD
VETERINARY DISPENSARY AT UMBLACHERY
The Animal Husbandry Department starts functioning from 2005 a Veterinary
Dispensary at Umblachery to give health coverage .
UMBLACHERY CATTLE HERDERS ASSOCIATION
An Association, a registered body is functioning to enhance the collective capacity of
the cattle herders / livestock keepers for conservation of Umblachery cattle breed in
wet land tract of TamilNadu state.One of the objective of this association is to
empower resource poor herders,women and marginal farmers conserving
Umblachery cattle breed and other local livestock.
This association make network with various social activisits / stake holders at local
,state and national level to work out conservation strategies and action plan for
preservation of indigenous livestock breeds.
Prepared by Dr.M.MaDhanagopal & Dr.C.Theivavirutham