Mehsana is a milk buffalo from north Gujarat, believed to have come from crossing Surti and Murrah buffaloes (NBAGR database). It is known for milking steadily through the lactation and for calving regularly, and in its home tract it is kept in commercial dairy herds (NBAGR database, ICAR-CIRB).
How to recognise it
- Colour: mostly black; a few are black-brown or brown (NBAGR database).
- Horns: sickle-shaped. They curve upward more than Surti horns and less tightly than Murrah horns, bending down first and then curving like a ram's horns (NBAGR database). They can be longer than Murrah's and irregular in shape (TNAU).
- Eyes: very prominent, black and bright, bulging from their sockets, with folds of skin on the upper lids (NBAGR database).
- Body: longer than a Murrah's, with lighter legs and a longer, heavier head (TNAU).
- Size and weight: bulls stand about 134 cm and cows about 128 cm at the shoulder. Adult bulls average about 565 kg and cows about 484 kg (NBAGR database).
What it is good for
- Milk. NBAGR records about 1,990 kg of milk (about 1,900 litres) in a lactation on average, with about 6.8% fat; single buffaloes range widely, from about 600 to 3,600 kg (NBAGR database). A lactation lasts about 280–310 days (ICAR-CIRB).
- Steady milk, regular calving. NBAGR describes Mehsana as a persistent milker and a regular breeder (NBAGR database). The first calf comes at about 43 months, then one about every 15–16 months (NBAGR database).
- Commercial dairying. In north Gujarat, Mehsana herds are run as commercial milk units (NBAGR database), and ICAR-CIRB notes that the breed responds well to stall-feeding (ICAR-CIRB).
Where it is mainly found
Mehsana's home tract is north Gujarat: Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad districts. Typical animals are seen around the towns of Mehsana, Patan, Sidhpur, Vijapur, Kadi, Kalol and Radhanpur (NBAGR database), and the breed extends into neighbouring Maharashtra (ICAR-CIRB). NBAGR registers it as a Gujarat breed (breed register); its other names are Mahesani and Mehsani. The 2013 breed survey counted about 26.8 lakh Mehsana buffaloes (NBAGR database).
Looking for Mehsana buffalo?
Kattutharai works across India. Search “Mehsana” in the app to look for Mehsana 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
- Stall-feeding. Mehsana buffaloes are mostly tied and stall-fed, with some grazing along roadsides and riverbeds in the rains. Lucerne is the main green fodder, and milking buffaloes get concentrate (NBAGR database). In the south, use the green fodder you can grow; see how buffaloes are kept.
- Keep it cool. Give shade, and a wallow or water sprinkling at least twice a day in hot weather (ICAR-CIRB).
- Calves and health. In the home tract, female calves get extra care (NBAGR database). Vaccinate and deworm on the calendar in buffalo health.
Buying tips
- Check the horns and eyes. Sickle horns that bend down and then curve up like a ram's, and big bulging eyes with skin folds on the upper lids, are typical (NBAGR database). Because the breed itself came from Murrah and Surti, Murrah crosses can look similar.
- 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.
- Ask about her last lactation. Mehsana is valued for milking steadily, so ask when she calved and how long she milked last time, and see her milked at least three times in a row; see buying a buffalo.
- Plan the journey. A buffalo brought from Gujarat needs a vet's certificate that she is fit to travel (AWBI).
Frequently asked questions
Is Mehsana a cross between Murrah and Surti?
It is believed to have come from crossing Surti and Murrah (NBAGR database), but today it is a registered breed in its own right (breed register).
How much milk does a Mehsana buffalo give?
About 1,990 kg in a lactation on average, but single buffaloes range from about 600 to 3,600 kg (NBAGR database), so see the animal milked before you buy.
How heavy is a Mehsana buffalo?
Adult bulls average about 565 kg and cows about 484 kg (NBAGR database).
Next
Compare Mehsana with the breeds it came from, Murrah and Surti, or see all breeds in Buffalo farming: breeds, buying and care in South India. To find buffaloes near you, browse buffaloes for sale.