Murrah: The highest milk yielding Buffalo

Murrah breed of buffalo is from Haryana, India. Murrah is popular for high milk yielding, on average it can yield 12 liters to 15 liters. The Murrah breed is also known as “Delhi”, “Kundi” and “Kali”. The home tract of this breed is Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Jind, Jhajhar, Hisar and Rohtak districts of Haryana.

The Murrah buffalo is a dairy breed, and it is raised mainly for milk production. But it is also used for meat production in some countries.

A large number of top quality Murrah Buffaloes is exported each year out of the State, which ultimately finds its way to slaughterhouses after the cessation of the lactation period. The Haryana Livestock Development Board is providing cash incentives for the best milking Murrah, in order to preserve the breed.

The government purchases the male calves of these high milk yield Murrahs for breeding. The sperm of bulls, whose mothers peak yield is 18 Kgs and above is frozen and the remaining bull is supplied to Panchayats on subsidized rates for natural service.

Moreover, the breed is used for upgrading non-descript buffaloes in many parts of India and has even formed an important place in the livestock industry of many developing countries like Bulgaria, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Sri Lanka.

Murrah Buffalo characteristics

Identifying a pure Murrah Buffalo by these characteristics:

1. The breed has a massive body, long head, and neck.
2. Murrah Buffaloes are jet black in color with occasional white marking on the switch of the tail.
3. Horn is short and tightly coiled.
4. A well developed drooping Udder.
5. Teats are equally distributed over the udder but hind teats are longer than fore teats.
6. The males are powerful drought animals 
7. The milk yield of the breed ranges from 1003 kg to 2057 kg per lactation.
8. The average lactation period is 300 days.
9. About three months of the dry period.
10. The gestation period is around 310 days.
11. Daily milk yield on an average is 12 liters to 15 liters.
12. The inter calving period is 400 days to 500 days.
13. The fat percentage is around 6.9 % to 8.3 % in Murrah’s milk.
14. The average body weight of Murrah males 550 kg and females is 450 kg.
15.  The average height at withers; male is 1.42 meter; the female is 1.32 meter.
16. Age at first calving is 40 to 50 months.
17. Murrah buffaloes usually live for 12 years. 

How to take care of Murrah buffalo?

The feed depends on various factors such as the weight of the animal, whether it is milking and how much is the yield, etc. The following is an approximate feed schedule for a lactating Murrah Buffalo. Check this link to learn more details about the feeding requirements of a Murrah Buffalo.

• 20 – 25 kgs of green fodder.
• 8 – 10 kgs of dry fodder like paddy straw
• 4 to 6 kgs of concentrate feed.
• 50 grams of mineral mixture
• 30 – 40 liters of water

Why Buffalo Farming?

Buffalo farming is a profitable business & has good potential for employment generation. India has 57% of the world buffalo population. Buffalo milk contributes 57% of total milk production.

1. Buffaloes have several advantages over crossbred cows as a farm animal.
2. They are well adapted to the agro-climatic condition of India
3. They are more disease resistant in comparison to crossbred cows. (less incidence of milk fever & mastitis in buffaloes)
4. They can thrive well on crop residue
5. Buffalo milk contains more butterfat for which the price of buffalo milk is more.

Murrah Buffalo benefits

• The Murrah buffalo is famous for its glistening black beauty, curved ring-like horns, light neck and head, long tail, whiteness at the switch of the tail only. This prized possession of Haryana is famous for the high production of fat-rich milk containing six to seven percent fat.
• Murrah Buffalo is a most productive water buffalo breed.
• Murrah Buffalo price ranges from Rs 60,000 to Rs 130,000 depending on the qualities of the buffalo.
• Murrah buffaloes are resistant to diseases and easily adapts to any climatic conditions. 
• Murrah Buffalo milk yield usually ranges from 12 liters per day to 16 liters per day.
• It provides food security and generates income for the unemployed youth.
• High milk production with rich fat content provides energy and strength for farming and manual work.

Murrah Buffalo history

As per Animal Husbandry Department records, between 1940 and 1960 Murrah buffaloes from India were exported to Brazil where husbandry conditions were suitable. They were also exported to China and Bulgaria. Murrah buffaloes from Bulgaria were further exported to Azerbaijan.

In the 1970s, Murrah buffaloes were also imported by Vietnam from China, Bulgaria, and India and crossbred with local swamp buffaloes. A few Bulgarian and Indian Murrah buffaloes were also exported to Venezuela and Argentina. As per the Export-Import policy of 1972, the export of live cattle was restricted by the Central Government.

The state government has also banned the export of Murrah buffaloes until they leave behind one or two calves. Earlier 30,000 to 70,000 buffaloes were exported every year to other states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Murrah Buffalo details

Breed Name	Murrah Buffalo
Other Name	Delhi, Kundi, and Kali.
Country/Place of Origin	Haryana, India
Breed Purpose	milk(dairy)
Breed Size	Large
Weight Male	550 kg
Female	450 kg
Milk Yield	12 kgs to 16 kgs
Skin color	black
Climate Tolerance	Any climate