Surti :



The Surti buffalo is a breed of water buffalo which is found in the Charottar tract of Gujarat, India.
The home tract of Surti buffaloes is in the South western part of Gujarat. Best animals are found in Anand, Nadiad, Kaira and Baroda district.
The animals are also commonly found in South Rajasthan extending over to Udaipur, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh and Dungarpur districts in Rajasthan.
The Surti buffalo is medium in body size as compared to heavy breeds, consumes less feed, thrives well both on limited and without green, and produce milk with higher fat and SNF content.
It is maintained easily by landless, small and marginal farmers. These animals are preferred by city milk producers, due to its body size and regularity in calving.

Important characteristics:

Body color
Coat colour of Surti buffaloes varies from rusty brown to silver grey .

Horns
Horns are flat, of medium length, sickle shaped and are directed downward and backward, and then turn upward at the tip to form a hook.

Marking
White markings is found on forehead, legs and switch of tail and these characteristics preferred by farmers.

Eye
A white streak of hair is usually seen over the eyebrows.

Tail
The tail is fairly long, thin having white tuft.

Body
Surti buffaloes are of medium size, having a straight back, small dewlap and naval flap.

Head
Head is elongated, fairly broad and rounded (convex) between horns.

Face Neck
Two or three white strips on the neck is very typical character of the breed.

Ear
Ears are drooping with reddish surface and lower border with whit hairs.

Udder
Udder is well developed, finely shaped and squarely placed between the hind legs.


Surti is also known as Charotari, Deccani, Gujarati, Nadiadi and Talabda.

The breeding tract includes Vadodara, Bharuch, Kheda and Surat districts of Gujarat. The breed is named after its place of origin.

Coat colour varies from rusty brown through silver- grey to black.

Skin is black or brown in colour.

Horns are flat, sickle shaped and are directed down ward and backward, and then turn upward at the tip to form a hook.

Average milk per lactation & average fat % are 1667 kg with 7.02% respectively.

The Surti buffalo is lighter in body weight, as compared to heavy breeds, consume less feed, thrives well both on stovers and on limited or no green fodder, and produce milk with high fat and SNF content.

Production traits






The body is well shaped and medium sizedwith rusty brown or silver-grey body color; the barrel is wedge shaped.
The peculiarity of the breed is two white collars, one round the jaw and the other at the brisket.
The age at first calving is 40-50 months with a intercalving period of 400-500 days.
The horns are of sickle-shaped and flat. The horns grow in a downward and backward direction and then upwards at the tip forming a hook.





The females have well developed, squarely placed between the hind legs and finely shaped udder.
Average body height of the mature Surti buffalo is around 130 cm at the withers for males and around 125 cm for the females.
Average live body weight of the mature males is around 500 kg, and around 400 kg for females.

They are seasonal breeders and their first calving age is between 45 and 47 months.
Milk of the Surti buffalo is of very good quality containing about 7-7.5 percent fat.


For further information about Surti buffalo
https://www.dairyknowledge.in/article/surti
https://buffalopedianew.cirb.res.in/surti/