Jaffarabadi is a massive black milk buffalo from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, around the Gir forest, and NBAGR calls it the heaviest of India's buffalo breeds (NBAGR database). It is named after the town of Jaffarabad, and its heavy horns droop at the sides of the head before curling up. This page shows how to recognise it and what to check before you buy.
How to recognise it
- Horns: heavy, flat and thick, and they vary a lot. They usually press against the head as they leave it, run down at the sides, then turn up and in, often ending in a ring (NBAGR database, ICAR-CIRB).
- Head: big, with a broad, bulging, dome-shaped forehead. With the horns, it makes the eyes look small and sleepy, especially in bulls (ICAR-CIRB).
- Colour: black; a few have a white or grey tail switch, or white marks on the forehead and feet (NBAGR database, ICAR-CIRB).
- Body: long, deep and massive, with a broad, thick neck, long ears and a well-developed udder (ICAR-CIRB).
- Size and weight: bulls stand about 143 cm and cows about 139 cm at the shoulder. Adult bulls average about 700 kg and cows about 620 kg (NBAGR database).
What it is good for
- Milk. NBAGR records about 2,240 kg of milk (about 2,200 litres) in a lactation, with about 7.7% fat (NBAGR database); a lactation lasts about 300 days (ICAR-CIRB).
- Heavy work. Bulls are strong enough to haul heavy loads, and NBAGR lists draught and transport work among the breed's uses (NBAGR database, ICAR-CIRB). TNAU notes that the heavy bullocks are used for ploughing and carting (TNAU).
- A big grazer. It grazes heavily and is kept on natural pasture all year in its home tract (NBAGR database).
- Calving. The first calf comes at about 45 months, then one about every 15 months (NBAGR database).
Where it is mainly found
Its home tract is Saurashtra in Gujarat, in and around the Gir forest: Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Porbandar districts (NBAGR database). NBAGR registers it as a Gujarat breed (breed register); its other names are Bhavnagri, Gir and Jaffari. It is the main livelihood of the Maldhari herders, and communities such as the Rabari, Bharwad, Aher and Mer rear it (NBAGR database). The 2013 breed survey counted about 5.7 lakh Jaffarabadi buffaloes (NBAGR database).
Looking for Jaffarabadi buffalo?
Kattutharai works across India. Search “Jaffarabadi” in the app to look for Jaffarabadi buffalo, or browse buffalo for sale near you. The seller names the breed and Kattutharai does not check it, so look at the animal yourself before you pay.
Rearing tips
- Plenty of feed and space. A buffalo this big eats a lot. In Gujarat it grazes natural pasture and gets green fodder such as maize, sorghum and groundnut haulms, dry stalks and straw, with oil cake or concentrate soaked and fed at milking, especially when pregnant or in milk (ICAR-CIRB). Make sure you can feed it before you buy.
- Cooling. In Gujarat, herds wallow, most often at midday (ICAR-CIRB). Give a wallow or water sprinkling at least twice a day in hot weather (ICAR-CIRB).
- Room for the horns. Allow enough space in the shed, at the trough and in the vehicle.
- Health. Vaccinate and deworm on the calendar in buffalo health.
Buying tips
- Check the horns, head and size. Heavy horns that droop at the sides and curl up, a bulging forehead and a massive black body are the breed's marks (NBAGR database). Short, tightly curled horns point to Murrah instead.
- Crosses are common, and the breed name in an ad is the seller's word; Kattutharai does not check it. See the animal yourself, and ask where her mother came from.
- Plan the move. A heavy buffalo from Gujarat needs a vet's certificate that she is fit to travel and a vehicle with an anti-slip floor, with no more than six animals in a goods vehicle (AWBI). See buying a buffalo for the other checks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jaffarabadi the heaviest buffalo breed?
NBAGR calls it the heaviest of the Indian buffalo breeds: bulls average about 700 kg and cows about 620 kg (NBAGR database).
How much milk does a Jaffarabadi buffalo give?
About 2,240 kg in a lactation of about 300 days on average, with about 7.7% fat (NBAGR database, ICAR-CIRB).
Is Jaffarabadi suitable for a small farm?
Only if you have plenty of fodder and space, because it is a big, heavy grazer (NBAGR database). With little feed, a lighter breed such as Surti, which eats less, may suit you better (NBAGR database).
Next
Compare Jaffarabadi with the other Gujarat breeds, Surti and Mehsana, or see all breeds in Buffalo farming: breeds, buying and care in South India. To find buffaloes near you, browse buffaloes for sale.