An Introduction to Buffaloes

[River Buffaloes]

South America where llamas and alpacas are native to Water Buffaloes are gaining remarkable popularity and so are Zebu cattle. There are buffaloes in every country between Argentina and Panama. They have reached a stage where they are developing their own breeds. Though I have noted that unlike European countries and North America, Indian breeds of Buffaloes are more popular in Latin America than the Mediterranean breed which are more popular in North America and Europe. Bulgaria is the only country that I know of who has imported any significant amount of Indian breeds.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I have seen Zebu's listed for sale around here but the prices are stupid high, no water Buffalo though..., guess we are missing out on a wonderful animal. Thanks for the education on the water Buffalo, this has been a very interesting read

 

[Kusanar]

I have failed to understand all this craze among the homesteaders about Alpacas and Lamas? How much milk do they produce? How much weight they can carry? How much weight they can pull? Why can't they keep a small herd of Water Buffaloes instead of Alpacas?

Most Llamas and Alpacas are raised for their fleece, some llamas are used as guardian animals. So far as I know, people don't milk either animal. For weight, Llamas are pack animals and google says they can carry 75-100 lbs each, alpacas are not built to carry loads at all. For how much they can pull, they aren't really built for pulling but they do break llamas to pull a lightweight, large wheeled cart like a pony cart sometimes.

I would love a water buffalo personally. Make my husband ride it. lol

ou should think about it this way, that even in a country where cows are worshipped the average price of buffalo is more than twice than that of cows.

I may be misunderstanding, but it seems like in a country that worships cows that cows would be fairly worthless. I mean, I wouldn't eat an animal I worshiped or make it pull a load. Seems like the only use for a cow would be to feed it and look at it. Like I said, could be misunderstanding but I have some experience working in a restaurant and having Indian people come in and demand that we clean the grill and only cook chicken when their food was being cooked so they didn't get any beef juice on their food from someone else's food so that seems like they certainly wouldn't be eaten...

 

[River Buffaloes]

Most Llamas and Alpacas are raised for their fleece, some llamas are used as guardian animals. So far as I know, people don't milk either animal. For weight, Llamas are pack animals and google says they can carry 75-100 lbs each, alpacas are not built to carry loads at all. For how much they can pull, they aren't really built for pulling but they do break llamas to pull a lightweight, large wheeled cart like a pony cart sometimes.

I would love a water buffalo personally. Make my husband ride it. lol


I may be misunderstanding, but it seems like in a country that worships cows that cows would be fairly worthless. I mean, I wouldn't eat an animal I worshiped or make it pull a load. Seems like the only use for a cow would be to feed it and look at it. Like I said, could be misunderstanding but I have some experience working in a restaurant and having Indian people come in and demand that we clean the grill and only cook chicken when their food was being cooked so they didn't get any beef juice on their food from someone else's food so that seems like they certainly wouldn't be eaten...

No, cows are milked and oxen were used for pulling carts and ploughing fields.

 

[River Buffaloes]

All of India is not Hindu majority, in Kerela and Bengal where Hindus have a majority slaughter of cows and consumption of beef is allowed. In Kashmir which is a Muslim majority State slaughter of cows is prohibited. Cow slaughter in all of the North Eastern States with the exception of Assam is allowed.

 

[River Buffaloes]

Why is it that only 1/6th of the cattles are male? Where are they disappearing

 

[Kusanar]

Why is it that only 1/6th of the cattles are male? Where are they disappearing

In the USA, (can't speak for other countries) dairy breed males are mostly slaughtered for lower grade beef, mostly for pet food and hamburger, some are raised for Veal which (not sure if you are familiar with the term or not) is young, usually just barely weaned or not weaned cattle, usually around 400-600 lbs.

Most small farms will have 1 bull or even no bulls in with their cows. Dairy cows are almost all artificially inseminated and a some beef cows are as well. There are also farms that will share 1 bull, where one farm owns the bull and keeps him most of the year and then another farm can pay $50-100 to keep him for a month or whatever they arrange with the bull owner. That way the same bull can breed cows at several farms.

I'm honestly surprised that the number is as high as 1/6th because of how many of the males are slaughtered as yearlings or younger.

 

[Baymule]

Case in point, we have one of those male cattle right now that will go for beef in March.

 

[Kusanar]

Case in point, we have one of those male cattle right now that will go for beef in March.

How old will he be? Beef or Dairy breed?

 

[Baymule]

Half Hereford, half Charolais. He’ll be 1 1/2 years old. He’s already spoiled.