Zebu

bos Indicus

Bessie a miniature Zebu cow.

Where am I from?

Zebu cattle originate from southern India and the island country off the southern tip of India called Sri Lanka. Zebu are counted as the world oldest domesticated cattle dating back 3000 years. 

Who are my relatives?

Their scientific name, bos indicus, is the name for all the hump backed cattle of the world. The zebu are bred from small cattle in Sri Lanka called Nadudana, meaning small cattle in Hindu.  They are their own species and not bred down like many miniature animals.  A miniature Zebu should not exceed 42 inches in height and many are much smaller.  They are hardy small cattle that do very well in hot weather.  They are known to lay stretched full out in the sun.

How am I born?

A Zebu is slow to mature.  The first calf is usually not born until the mother is 30 to 36 months old. Zebus mate year around.  Once the mother is pregnant the gestation period is about 285 days so one calf is usually born every year.  The calf is able to stand and nurse almost immediately after birth.  The first three days the mother is producing colostrum which is very rich in vitamins and gets the calf off to a good healthy start.

What do I eat?

A newborn Zebu will nurse from it's mother and gradually be weaned.  They will start to nibble grain and hay at about 60 days old although some will start much earlier.  Adult Zebus eat grass, hay, and grain.  They need a salt block to lick on and access to fresh water. A Zebu stomach has 4 chambers for digesting food:

The first three chambers have bacteria that help break down tough plant matter.In the second chamber, the food forms a ball called 'cud', which is then chewed a second time.When swallowed again, it passes through the third and fourth chambers.This process allows them to absorb maximum nutrients from their food.

Zebu at Camp

At Cub Creek Science Camp we have a miniature Zebu cow named Bessie that is silvery white.  She had a baby named Milkshake who is also white.  Redbull is our little male miniature Zebu and he is a red/brown color and very gentle.  Redbull has been bottle raised and is used to people handling him.  We hope to have more baby Zebu here at Cub Creek Science Camp in the future.