Periyar Cow

About Periyar Cow

• Periyar cow is an indigenous cattle breed of Kerala, locally known as Periyar Kullan, Kuttampuzha cattle and Andukanni.
• Official Name: It has been registered as the Periyar cow, also known as Periyar dwarf cattle.
• Distribution: It is traditionally found in the Periyar River basin and adjoining plantation and forest landscapes of Ernakulam and Thrissur.
• Characteristics:
  • Nature: It thrives under semi-feral and low-input management conditions and grazes on naturally available vegetation.
  • Physical Features: It is a compact, medium-sized animal weighing about 150–200 kg and standing approximately 105–110 cm tall.
    • It can have brown, black or grey colouring, horizontally placed ears and slightly curved horns.
  • Milk: Its average milk yield ranges from 2.5 to 4 litres.
    • Its milk is classified as A2 Beta casein and contains 4.5% fat and 9.1% Solids Not Fat (SNF).
  • Breeding: First breeding usually occurs at 26 months, and first calving takes place at around 35 months.
• Threats: Its population came under pressure from crossbreeding and changing land-use patterns.
  • It was once facing extinction.
• Conservation: A community-based model helped increase its population by distributing Periyar calves among local families.
• Status: It is the second native cattle breed from Kerala to receive national recognition after the Vechur cow, which was recognized in 1996.