What is Gir Cow?

What is Gir Cow?

The Gir Cow breed is renowned Indian dairy cattle breed that originated from the Gir hills and forests of Kathiawar, in the Gujarat districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Rajkot. This breed is named after the forest of Gir, and it has gained popularity outside India, with countries like the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil successfully breeding them. The Gir breed has also been used in North America to grow the Brahman cattle.

Description of Gir Cow:

The Gir Cow breed is well-known Indian dairy cattle breed, known for its ability to tolerate stressful conditions and resist various tropical diseases. They are used as bulls on all kinds of soil to pull heavy loads and are generally gentle, polite, and love being around people. At night, they form a very close circle with their calves sleeping under their heads. In India, they are a popular breed of dairy cattle, with an average milk production of 6-10 liters per day. In Brazil, they produce an average of 3,500 kg of milk per lactation. The average lifespan of the Gir Cow breed is around 12-15 years, during which they give birth to 10-12 calves.

Physical Characteristic of Gir Cattle:

The physical characteristics of the Gir Cattle breed include an average weight of 550-650 kg for bulls and 400-475 kg for cows. The average height of Gir bulls is 1.35m, and the average height of Gir cows is 1.30m. Their body color varies from pure red to yellowish red to white, with large red spots. Gir cows have a broad, convex, and prominent forehead that looks like a bony shield. Their ears are long, pendulous, and folded like a leaf on the tip with a knot. The horns are bent and turn back, and the tail of the cow is very long. The breed has a prominent hip bone and a high hump, which distinguishes them from other cow breeds. Interestingly, the hump of the Gir cow has a specific vein called "Surya Ketu Nadi," which is missing in non-Gir cows and hybrid cows. This vein produces gold salts in the blood when dealing with solar rays, and such salts are found in the milk, butter, ghee, and other body fluids of the cow, giving them a natural golden color. In Ayurveda, Gir cow's milk, ghee, curd, urine, and dung together are known as "Panchgavya," which is useful for fighting and curing many human and animal diseases. The Surya Ketu Nadi of the Gir cow has many important properties.

MILK: Cow's milk is a rich source of vitamins, proteins, minerals, amino acids, phosphorus, glucose, cerebrosides, strontyne, and carotene, all of which offer tremendous health benefits to our bodies.

DUNG: Cow dung, on the other hand, contains essential nutrients like nitrogen(N7), potassium, copper, molybdenum, borex, cobalt sulphate, phosphorus, iron, manganese, boron, and sodium, making it a natural fertilizer that is widely used as raw manure in agriculture.

URINE: cow urine is rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fluoride, urea, phosphorus, and ammonia, and regular consumption of it has been linked to cancer prevention, body purification, and calmness of the mind, all of which contribute to overall good health and disease prevention.

Gir and Indian Desi Cow:

I The state is home to various cattle breeds such as Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, Kankrej, and Thar Parkar, which fall under dairy (for milk only), dual (milk and work), and work animal categories based on their quality. Among these breeds, the Gir Cow is considered the superior Indian Desi Cow. Known by names like Bhadawari, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi, and Surati, this cow originated from the Gir forest in south Kathiawar, Gujarat. It produces between 1200-1800 kgs of milk per lactation and is highly resistant to diseases.

Gir and Hybrid Cow Comparison

When comparing Indian Gir and Hybrid cows, there are several differences. Indian cow breeds such as Gir, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, and Kankrej produce A2 milk, which is high in A2 beta-casein protein. In contrast, Hybrid cows like Jersey, Holstein Friesian, Ayrshire, and Guernsey produce milk that contains both A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins. Because A2 milk offers many benefits over A1 milk, cow breeds that produce A2 milk are considered superior to other cow breeds. Therefore, Gir cows, which are known for producing A2 milk, are often considered the best cow breed. 

here's a comparison table for Gir Cow and Hybrid Cow:

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