Sahiwal is an important city in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in the country and is the administrative center of two divisions. Historically, the city was called Montgomery. Today, the city is home to some of the country’s most successful businesses. It has become a popular destination for tourism and agriculture.
Sahiwal cattle
The Sahiwal cattle are a breed of zebu cow named after a region of Punjab, Pakistan. They can be found mainly in Pakistan’s Punjab province and in the Indian states of Punjab & Haryana and Rajasthan. Their characteristics include a hardy temperament, high milk production, and a long life expectancy.
The Sahiwal breed is ideal for small to medium scale farming. They require low maintenance and are easy to raise. They are suitable for beef production, milk production, and light farm work. They also respond well to various climates. The average weight of a mature Sahiwal cow is 425 kg, while the average weight of a bull is 500 kg.
The Sahiwal breed originated in the dry Punjab region near the Indian-Pakistani border. Professional herdsmen kept large herds of these cattle. Farmers in these areas also kept Sahiwals in smaller herds. These cattle were traditionally used as draft animals and dairy cows.
Sahiwal cattle are excellent milk producers and are one of the heaviest milkers among the Zebu cattle breeds. Their udders are well developed and easy to milk. Their ability to calve is another advantage. They produce healthy calves. Their milk yield is high and they are popular for beef and dairy production in India.
The Sahiwal breed of cows is mainly found in the Punjab province in Pakistan and in India’s Punjab and Haryana states. The breed is highly adaptable to the dry climate and is a popular dairy cattle in the region.
Their adaptability
The Sahiwal is a breed of cattle indigenous to Kenya and other parts of Africa. The breed has been known to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Its adaptations have helped the livestock survive in countries such as Kenya, Guyana, Burundi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Somalia. The breed is considered unique in its transmission of milk production and other traits. The breed is widely distributed, and Kenya is the main source of the breed in the continent.
The high-altitude adaptability of Sahiwal cows is attributed to a number of different factors. The first is that the Sahiwal is less sensitive to high ambient temperatures than other breeds. It has an enhanced thermoregulatory mechanism due to its low metabolic rate and high sweating capacity. Adaptation to higher temperatures can be enhanced through genetic, nutritional, and management procedures.
The second trait is the Sahiwal’s adaptability to a diverse range of conditions. The cattle are highly suited to pastures rich in star grass and Kikuyu grass. Moreover, they respond well to rotational grazing, which enables the grasses to regenerate. For improved milk production, they can also be supplemented with legumes and concentrates.
Other traits related to adaptability included an increase in gene expression in Sahiwal cows compared to Ladakh cows. The most highly expressed genes were elongation factor 1 alpha 1, colony stimulating factor 3 ligand 2, and colony stimulating factor 3 receptor. These genes are important for the host defence system and are thought to have evolved under natural selection. Antimicrobial peptides were also found to be higher in the Sahiwal cattle, which are indigenous to a tropical region.
Their productivity
Sahiwal cattle are used for a variety of purposes, including beef production, dairy production, and meat production. These animals can increase rangeland productivity and reduce the use of inorganic fertilizers, which are costly and harmful to the environment. They also produce dung, which can be used for planting crops and cooking. The dung can also be used to produce biogas, which can be used to heat homes and light crops. This process can also help reduce GHG emissions.
The Sahiwal breed is distinguished by its red and brown coloration. It may have genetic influences from the Gir or Red Sindhi breeds, and is considered to be one of the most productive dairy breeds in India. It is also considered to be a heavy breed, heat-resistant, and resistant to parasites. The breed is a popular choice in dairy farming in India and has been exported to several countries. It is also a high-quality milk producer, with an estimated population of 4000 breeding females.
In Sierra Leone, the Sahiwal breed has been used for breeding purposes. These cattle have been evaluated for milk production, calving interval, and growth performance. The Sahiwal-Ayrshire cross was found to improve overall productivity index per cow in a year and had higher calf survival. However, the total lactation yield of Sahiwal females was significantly lower than that of Ayrshire females.
Their fertility
The Sahiwal cattle breed is known for optimum performance. This breed has been genetically improved for its performance traits based on phenotypic records. Recently, a Genome-wide association study was conducted to examine the genetic basis of both growth and fertility traits in Sahiwal cattle. This study identified USP32 as a putative candidate gene associated with body weight at different ages in Sahiwal cattle.
The Sahiwal bull population was studied to identify the genetic variant responsible for the third exon of bovine PROP1 gene (NCBI GenBank accession number KT198685.1). The indigenous bull population had a gene variant that conferred PROP1-173H, which is beneficial for bull fertility. These results highlight the importance of pre-screening populations for candidate functional SNPs associated with reproductive traits in cattle.
The study also examined the effect of nutrition on milk production and fertility among a group of Sahiwal cows compared with Friesians. The study involved forty in-calf cows that were randomly assigned to one of five dietary groups. These groups consisted of zero, one, two, and three kgs of concentrates, as well as pasture grazing. The cows were monitored bi-weekly for milk and blood samples.
The results of this study indicate that the age at which the first semen freezing occurs is associated with the fertility rate of a Sahiwal bull. Additionally, age and the scrotal circumference were found to affect the reproductive performance of Sahiwal bulls.
Their parasite resistance
Parasite resistance is one of the most important considerations for a dairy farmer, and the Sahiwal breed has been used in dairy breeding programs for its tick resistance and performance characteristics. In a recent study, we identified candidate genes in a cohort of Sahiwal and Friesian cattle, and compared their blood protozoa prevalence. We observed that the prevalence of blood protozoa in Friesian cattle was higher than that in Sahiwal cattle. Further, we found that their parasite resistance was more seasonal.
Sahiwal cows are highly resistant to parasites, making them a popular choice for milk production. They produce an average of 2270 kg of milk during lactation. Their increased parasite resistance has allowed them to be exported to other Asian countries. Although they are relatively slow in nature, they are ideal for slow-moving tasks such as moving heavy objects and harvesting crops.
Field strains of Aedes albopictus from Punjab show resistance to the common insecticides pyrethroids and deltamethrin. Interestingly, these strains also showed enhanced toxicity when treated with piperonyl butoxide. These results point to a common mechanism of resistance in Aedes albopictus.
Genetic resistance to parasite disease is crucial to resource-limited farmers. This resistance can be achieved through a combination of selection, hygienic culture, and chemical methods. This resistance could help address concerns of drug-resistant parasites. In addition to this, it might be possible to create herds of cattle that are naturally resistant.
Their heat tolerance
Heat tolerance in cattle is associated with the presence of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the genome. Polymorphisms in HSP genes have been associated with cattle production performance and heat tolerance. The HSPB8 gene is located on autosome 17 of the bovine genome and consists of three exons and two introns. This study was performed in Sahiwal cows of subtropical climate, and we detected SNPs in all three exons and part of intron 1. We then analyzed the association between HSPB8 polymorphism and heat tolerance traits in Sahiwal cows.
The results showed that Sahiwal cows were more tolerant to heat stress compared to crossbred cows. This may be because they have a lower metabolic rate and superior sweating capacity, which reduces their sensitivity to heat stress. While there is no single reason for Sahiwal cows to have better thermo tolerance, genetic and management procedures can help improve cow health and reduce thermal stress.
Heat tolerance is an important trait for cattle. The Sahiwal breed’s heat tolerance is one of its key characteristics. It has been used to develop two important tropical dairy breeds, the Australian Milking zebu and the Australian Friesian Sahiwal. The Sahiwal is a great choice for a dairy farm because of its heat tolerance and milk production.
Sahiwal cows produce the most milk of any Zebu breed. These cows average 2270 kg of milk during lactation and have a well-developed udder. They are also known for being docile and lethargic, making them particularly useful for slow work.
