Sibi bhagnari
The Sibi Bhagnari or Sibi is the largest breed of Zebu cattle and originates from Sibi in the Baluchistan Province of Pakistan.[1] The name is derived from the town of Bhag which is found to the south of Sibi and Naari which is a river that flows through the breeding area. Each year the giant cattle are shown at the Sibi Mela.
Country of origin | Pakistan |
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Distribution | Pakistan, India |
Use | dual-purpose, draught and beef |
Traits | |
Weight |
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Skin color | black |
Coat | white hair, grey black switch |
Horn status | horned |
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Description
The breed typically has a white or grey coloured body and is black around the neck and has a black tail switch. The head is medium-sized with a short strong neck, small ears, short horns, small dewlap, straight back, wide chest and a moderate sized hump. Adult bulls can grow to 84 in (2,100 mm) in height with a mass of up to 1,600 kg (3,500 lb)[1] The bulls of the breed surpass the Brahman by more than 500 kg (1,100 lb) in mass. It is still been debated whether the Sibi is the biggest cattle breed in the world. But bulls have shown to compete with Chianina.[2][3]
Sibi Bhagnari together with the smaller White Nukra are the only indocine cattle which give complete white coloured animals. (Brahman is more white-greyish.)
Environment
It is suited to extremes in conditions, in the breeding area it copes with a temperature range from 0 to 50 °C (32 to 122 °F)[1] and the average rainfall is less that 400 mm (16 in).[3]
Farming
The cattle are mostly fed on dry fodder with sorghum used as green and grain. Other grains which include wheat, barley, pearl millet also feed them for gaining weight. Other supplements include desi ghee, milk, yogurt, mustatd oil, eggs which are included periodically.[3]
References
- "Sibi Bhagnari - Sibi Bull Lovers". thecapitalpost.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- "Sibi Bhagnari mela winner 6 Dant - video dailymotion". Dailymotion. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- Illahi Bakhsh Marghazani. "Bhagnari Cattle - Cattle - Fodder". Survey Report on the present status of Bhagnari cattle in the Sibi region. Scribd. Retrieved 3 January 2019.