utilise : Large or small , zebus are the quintessential cows for hot , horny climate where non - humped Bos taurus strain fail to thrive . Not only used as beef and household dairy manufacturer in tropic and semi - tropical piece of the macrocosm , zebu bulls are used to sire audacious , estrus - immune calf from cows of other breeds . Consider the Brahmin bull in our own Southern states . He ’s been used to create breeds as diverse as the Brahmousin ( Brahmin and Limousin ) , Beefmaster ( a compounding of Hereford , Shorthorn and Brahman genetics ) , Braford ( Brahmin and Hereford ) , Brangus ( Brahmin and Angus ) , and Santa Gertrudis ( a unequaled blend of Brahmin , Hereford , and Shorthorn genetic science blended at the vast King Ranch in Texas ) .
History : The ancient aurochs , a tall , massively built bovine that once range from Asia to Europe and due south to the Middle East , was tame in several locations , one of them being the Indus Valley of Pakistan . These humped kine became Bos indicus , better known to the modern world as zebus . Two types of zebus call North America base : the Brahman and the Miniature Zebu . Brahmin ( sometimes relate to as Brahma ) oxen were developed in our Southern state in the early 1900 ’s using the genetic science of four unlike Indian breed , some by way of Brazil where zebu Bos taurus are treasured for their high temperature margin , hardiness , and disease resistance . Miniature Zebus are a disjoined breed and not miniaturized versions of their larger Brahmin cousins . They are descended from Indian Nadudana zebu cattle import by zoos during the other years of the 20th century .
shape : Zebus of all breeds ( and there are an estimated 75 breeds world - wide ) have a bit of characteristics in vulgar . All have trenchant humps over their shoulders and neck that are great in zebu bulls and steers than the hump on zebu cows . Both sexes have pendulous dewlaps hanging from their neck to supply more tegument Earth’s surface for cooling . Zebus have more sweat glands than non - zebu oxen so they also dissipate heat through diaphoresis . Their unusually wandering , unctuous skin assist repulse bothersome bugs . All have dark skin pigmentation , so skin genus Cancer seldom poses a problem . Zebus are also resistant to tropical disease like rinderpest in Africa and to sponger that rapidly fell European cattle breed . They ’re have sex for being teachable , favorable , intelligent animals when handle with forgivingness . Most Brahmins are gray , ranging from porcelain to nearly black , but add up in other colors , peculiarly cerise . Cows weigh in the neighborhood of 1000 to 1400 pounds , while bull tip the exfoliation at 1600 to 2000 pounds . They ’re note for their prospicient , cernuous ears and attractive , up - curved horns that often tilt back at the tips . Miniature Zebus come in an array of color including cream , hoary , black , ruby-red , and spotted . Mature cows matter only 300 to 500 pound ; bulls , 400 to 600 Sudanese pound . They are measured at the withers behind the hump and can not exceed 42 inches tall at three years of years . Unlike Brahmins , Miniature Zebus have shorter , less pendulous auricle . They are register by two organizations , the American Miniature Zebu Association and the International Miniature Zebu Association . There are fewer than 1000 Miniature Zebu in North America .
Special Considerations / Notes : While most people associate zebus with Southern climes , in fact Brahmins and Miniature Zebus are hardy , adaptable animate being that given protection from weather extremes , fare well in northerly states too . Both breed prosper on low - quality forage . They are exceptionally long - lived and due to their calves ’ low-toned birthing free weight , calve problems are rarified indeed .
