| Species |
Cattle |
| Synonym |
Kanganad, Kongu |
| Origin |
Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. A long established herd is being maintained by a private breeder– Pattaigar of Palaykottai |
| Breeding History |
Kangayam breed derives its name from the Kangayam division of Dharapuram taluks of Coimbatore district. Broad forehead, black muzzle, short and erect ears, bright and elliptical shaped eyes. Stout and thick horns has been exported to Srilanka, for draft purposes |
| Breeding tract |
Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Management System |
Kangayam cattle are traditionally reared on grazing in dry lands kept as pasture land by farmers for cattle and sheep in the breeding tract. The pasture land is divided into many paddocks by live fencing of a thorny shrub. A system of rotational and priority grazing is adopted. Velvaelam trees are also seen extensively in grazing areas. They provide shade to animals in rest during grazing. Calves are allowed to suck as much milk from their dams as they require up to 6 weeks. Later green grass is |
| Breed Society |
Nil |
| Phenotypic characters |
| General characters |
Moderate size with compact body. Head is short with broad forehead. More proportionate to the body, Eyes are dark and prominent with black rings around them. |
| Colour |
Grey or white. Males have black or very dark colour on the head, Hump, neck and quarters. Calves are red in colour and changed to grey at the age of 3-4 months. . |
| Horns |
Spread apart, nearly straight with a slight curve backwards, almost completing a circle at tips
|
| Visible Markings |
Long horns nearly completing a circle, long hump and strong body, Short, stout legs with strong hooves. Tight naval flap. |
| Morphometric characters |
| Body length (Avg cm) |
Male : 144 cm, Female :130 cm |
| Height (Avg cm) |
Male : 139 cm, Female : 124 cm |
| Girth (Avg cm) |
Male : 169 cm, Female : 155 cm |
| Adult weight (Avg kg) |
Male : 400-500 kg, Female : 300-400 kg |
| Performance |
| Age at first calving (m) |
44 months |
| Inter calving period (m) |
16 Months |
| Milk yield per lactation (kg) |
600 -700 kg per lactation |
| Milk Fat ( % ) |
3.88% |
| Population status |
80620 (as on 2013) |
| Utility |
Good for ploughing and crting |
| Publications |
VCRI 1997.A survey of Kangayam Cattle: Final Report (1993-1997), ICAR Ad-hoc Scheme. Department of Animal Genetics, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal. |