Turkey Creek Water Buffalo
Home Buffalo in the News Breeding Information Buffalo - Mozzarella Cheese WB Links
WB Meat Water Buffalo Pictures Water Buffalo Stories WB Types
WB Bulls WB Heifers WB - Milking Master Page Water Buffalo Semen
Since the Countryside magazine is for interesting lifestyles and free willed people - why not animals with accommodating traits ?
Exotic ? Delicate ? Finicky ? No - not at all .Useful - durable - long lived - easily trainable - friend for life -Yes. Sound to good to be true ? What is this unimaginable animal - Bubalus bubalis - WHAT’S THAT ! - Water Buffalo.
Domesticated for over 7,000 years and with a world population of over 150 million , water buffalo are not classified as exotics. They are used through the world for a multiple of purposes. As a beast of burden, milk producer , meat source and human companion , the water buffalo is a symbol of power , wealth, and comfort. Long used through out all of Asia ; farmers have found them indispensable, and in many parts, water buffalo make human survival possible.
Many world agricultural scientists tout water buffalo as the creature for sustainable farming. Truly adaptable by nature, it is by no chance occurrence that water buffalo have spread throughout our world. Water buffalo offer the unique ability for people to farm on marginal lands. From Brazil to the Soviet Union , Egypt to Trinidad , water buffalo have made their indelible mark on the human consciousness.
The genus for the domesticated water buffalo is Bubalus Bubalis which descended from the wild water buffalo Bubalus Arnee . Although a exact date for the water buffalo domestication is not known , there are wax seals illustrating buffaloes dating from 2500 B.C.. These have been found in the Indus Valley of Pakistan and in the ancient city of Ur in Mesopotamia. Zoologists in China have found bones of apparently domesticated water buffalo dating from around 4700 B.C.
From their early beginnings , water buffalo have emerged into two main varieties - river and swamp. The swamp buffalo developed in Southeast Asia and the river in India and Pakistan.
Swamp buffalo are mainly the draft animals of the buffalo kingdom. Somewhat slow and plodding they have large crescent shaped horns. The horns spread backwards from their forehead and can attain a tip to tip distance of six feet ! Their conformation is stocky and low to the ground. They exhibit large hooves which provide traction even in the muddiest of conditions. Their color ranges from black to brown usually with white legging and the telltale sign of swamp blood - a chevron or two along their breast area . They have a affinity for wallowing in mud which provides them heat release ( they have fewer sweat glands) and insect resistance. In this country - any type of shade whether from trees , buildings or shade cloth is sufficient.
If there were royalty amongst buffalo - the river buffalo would fit the ticket. They tend to be black with shorter curling horns. Their conformation is more stately being somewhat taller and narrower. They prefer clean water to cool off with . Although their personalities are different than swamp , I would not call them snobbish. River buffalo are mainly used for milk production around the world.
Water buffalo are a very powerful - sure-footed beast. They have broad hooves with flexible pastern and fetlock joints, making them ideally suited for moving through deep mud. They work very well on steep slopes and reportedly do well at high altitudes, as in Nepal with elevations of 11,000 feet. Besides plowing , water buffalo do well at pulling large loads. By using sleds or carts, depending on the soil conditions, they can transport considerable loads.
Perhaps the uniqueness of water buffalo is best exhibited in their digestive physiology. With a large gut and a high fermentation rate , water buffalo eat extremely economically. They digest their foods slowly effectively allowing them to consume rough forages. This has allowed them to thrive where other animals -horses or cattle - have difficulty in obtaining enough to eat.
Their character ? As a whole , water buffalo are very good-nature and easily trained. The basic ingredients involve soothing talk ,hand feeding and petting. Being intelligent , they learn their masters voice quite readily. They can learn commands and to come when called. It should not be a surprise to know that they do not respond favorably to whips or spurs.
It is no wonder that there exist so many folk tales and stories about water buffalo. In many places through-out the world they are thought of a part of the family ! Bulgarian folk-tales tell of the gratitude they feel for a animal that works so hard for so little in return. People of Thailand sing to their buffaloes and Filipinos allow their children to baby sit the water buffalo - or is it the other way around ?
Water buffalo are alert creatures and recognize strangers immediately. There are many stories of water buffalo protecting their masters by fending off attacks by crocodiles and lions. While usually non-aggressive , a aroused water buffalo can fend for itself. Coyotes or dogs are not a problem at calving time.
Besides their economic worth as a tractor , water buffalo other main contribution is as a dairy animal. The milk is very rich and nutritious. In fact, twice as high in butter fat ( 8-9%) , substantially higher protein and vitamins A and C . It is from buffalo milk that the true mozzarella cheese is made. If you haven’t ever tried it - well - just ask an Italian . In India, buffalo milk is used to make ghee (clarified butter) which is used for cooking. Also it is also used for a variety of soft-cheeses and to make yogurt, ice cream and delicious caramel toppings.
What about the meat ? 50% less cholesterol and 25% less saturated fats. We like to say its beefier than beef. It is a rich tasting meat without a gamy taste. Tough ? In many countries their greatest value lies in draft and milk , hence, only old unproductive animals were slaughtered. This meat is tough and frankly - unpalatable. Now in Egypt and many other countries buffalo are raised for meat. Meat from young animals is tasty and comparable to regular beef. In some countries buffalo and cattle go into the slaughter house on one end and come out as beef on the other. Brazil has now just reached the number of animals where buffalo producers can market the meat on its own merits and it sells as a premium to beef. Many people prefer the meat simply because it has more taste. Buffalo Meat - Fat & Cholesterol Chart
The animal of the future ? We think so. Other attributes include - buffalo leather. The hides make beautiful- strong leather that is suitable for a number of uses. Upholstery, boots, saddles, and belts and coats are few. Water buffalo meat - due to its leanness - lends itself to jerky and pemmican . In Thailand and Indonesia , craftsmen use buffalo horns to make carvings, shoehorns, combs and knife handles. In many countries ground buffalo horns supposedly increase your sexual appetite - while the milk is thought to have aphrodisiac qualities.
Some other quick water buffalo facts. Water buffalo take longer to reach full maturity - five years or so. They have their first calf at 2 years of age. The gestation period for water buffalo is 10.5 months. They do have long productive lives 30 to 35 years. They hardly ever get sick. No foot-rot, pink-eye or major fly problems. They do like to wallow on hot summer days. They will be peacefully content in a pasture with cattle or bison but will not breed with ether.
Perhaps the best summary of water buffalo can best be said by a legend. It is said that the Gods sent a water buffalo to earth to check on man and to make sure he was getting at least one good meal every three days. The water buffalo misunderstood the Gods and told man that he should have three good meals each day . The gods became extremely angry and banished the water buffalo to earth with the mission to furnish man with three good , healthy meals a day.
|
Phone: 870-645-2595 07/12/2023 The Turkey Creek Corporation - All Rights Reserved 2023 © |
|
|