Indubrasil is a breed of cattle product of the crossing of three Zebu breeds: Gyr, Guzerat and Nelore. It is native to Brazil, where it was developed in the early 20th century. The intention was to create a cattle that had the best of these breeds.
In this way, large, robust and long-lived animals were obtained. Possibly the first crosses were made without a definite purpose. However, Colonel José C. Borges played an important role in the formation of the new caste, which he initially called indubérada.
Zebu Nerole, one of the races that were crossed to obtain the Indubrasil caste. Source: pixabay.com
Among its benefits is that it is a dual-purpose breed, producing milk and meat. Plus, you quickly gain the right weight. Likewise, it is versatile in crossing, either with zebu or with other breeds. In Mexico they are crossed with Cebu-Suizo, obtaining precocious calves and females with excellent milk production.
It is a cattle whose coat is short and fine. The coloration can vary between gray, white and red. It has a kidney-shaped hump. As for their limbs, they have strong bones and are muscular. The hooves are hard and black in color.
Origin
The Indubrasil breed was developed in the early twentieth century, in the mesoregion of the Triángulo Mineiro, in the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeast of Brazil.
It was the first cebuina strain native to that country and is the product of the cross between the Gyr, Guzerat and Nelore races. The main objective was that the genetic benefits of the zebu that originated it converge in a single animal.
The races that were crossed, possess outstanding characteristics. For example, Guzerat is the longevity and hardiest, as well as producing milk and meat and being excellent for work. As for the Gyr breed, it has great dairy potential and reproduces efficiently in the tropics.
Nelore cattle are used especially as meat producers. Likewise, it is a strong and large animal.
The vigorous appearance and body volume of Indubrasil is similar to that of Guzerat. Del Gyr, it has some characteristics, such as antlers and ears, among others. Thus, the Indubrasil is a breed with robust, long-lived, precocious in reproduction and dual-purpose animals, since both their milk and meat are used.
characteristics
Size
The adult bull could exceed 1200 kilograms in weight, while the cows reach 750 kilograms. At birth, the calf weighs around 31 kilograms.
Head
The head is large and supported by a strong, short neck. It has a sharp face, with a straight nose in males and more elongated in females. They have a black snout and a prominent, smooth and broad forehead.
As for the ears, they are pendulous, thick and long, with the tip curved inwards. These can have lateral movements. The horns are medium in size, located laterally and oriented upwards and backwards, converging in the center.
Body
They have a long body, with a compact appearance. In females, the hump is chestnut-shaped and in males it is kidney-shaped. As for the chest, it is well developed, presenting prominent musculature. In addition, it has a long tail, which ends in a tassel made of black hair.
The forelimbs are muscular and have strong bones. The hindquarters are made up of wide legs and thighs, covered with excellent musculature. The hooves are highly resistant and black in color.
Fur
The skin is dark, fine and smooth. As for the hair, it is thin, silky and short. The coloration may be light to medium gray, white or reddish, with the extremities a little darker.
Crosses
It can be crossed to form beef, dairy and dual-purpose cattle breeds. Some of these crosses are: Canchim (Indu-Brazilian-Charolais), Itapetinga (Indu-Brazilian-Swiss) and Santa Mariana (Indu-Brazilian-Dutch).
Distribution
Despite being a breed originally from Brazil, it is currently present in various South American countries. Thus, it is distributed in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala. In addition, it lives in Thailand, South Africa and Australia.
It was introduced in Mexico in the years 1945 - 1946. The specimens were well accepted, which is why they were distributed in Yucatán, Coahuila, the Gulf of Mexico Coast and Nuevo León, in the north of the nation. They even crossed the border, thus reaching Texas, in the United States.
In Brazil, the main Indubrasil breeding center is in the Mining Triangle mesoregion, in the state of Minas Gerais. However, they also exist in Goiás, Paraná, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia.
At present, the natural habitat in that country is restricted to the Brazilian northeast and the Minas Gerais area.
Feeding
The animals of the Indubrasil breed are herbivores. Thus, they can feed on herbs, seeds and flowers. According to studies carried out, milk production can be increased by up to 20% when plant species of legume and grass are combined in the feeding of Indubrasil cattle.
In the Minas Gerais region there is a great variety of forage grasses. Within the group that have a low nutritional requirement is Andropogon gayanus, Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria ruziziensis, Brachiaria humidicola and Melinis minutiflora.
However, there are also species with a high demand for nutrients. Some of these are: Setaria sphacelata, Hemarthria altíssima, Chloris gayana, Cynodon nlemfuensis, Hyparrhenia rufa and Panicum maximum.
Digestive system
In ruminants, the digestive system is adapted to process the structural carbohydrates that are present in the pasture.
The main characteristic of digestion is that the degradation of food occurs mainly through fermentation, which is carried out thanks to the different microorganisms that are housed in the stomach diverticula.
Process
Initially, these animals chew the large particles, and then salivate them. At that time they add bicarbonate and urea, which help with digestion.
The food bolus is swallowed, thus passing through the esophagus until it reaches the rumen and the reticulum, where a mixing process begins. In addition, the population of microbes that exist in the rumen begin to act on the nutrients, thus beginning their degradation process.
Subsequently, the food is regurgitated, a process in which it is chewed for long hours. Later, the food mass reaches the omasum, where the minerals and water are recycled. Then it reaches the abomasum, considered the true stomach.
There, certain enzymes and hydrochloric acid are secreted, which contribute to the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates, which were not processed during ruminal fermentation. In the small intestine, glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids are digested. Finally, in the large intestine, absorption of water and the formation of feces occur.
References
- Wikipedia (2019). Indu-Brasul. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.
- Asocebú Colombia (2019). Indubrasil. Recovered from asocebu.com.
- Ricardo Zanella, Luísa V. Lago, Arthur N. da Silva, Fábio Pértille, Nathã S. de Carvalho, João Cláudio do Carmo Panetto, Giovana C. Zanella, Fernanda L. Facioli, Marcos Vinicius GB da Silva5 (2018). Genetic Characterization of Indubrasil Cattle Breed Population. NCBI. Recovered from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Ríos, UA, Hernández, HVD, Zárate, MJ (2014). Heritability of growth characteristics of cattle indubrasil. Recovered from revistacebu.com.
- Dorismar David Alves, Mário Fonseca Paulino, Alfredo Acosta Backes, Sebastião de Campos Valadares Filho, Luciana Navajas Rennó (2004). Carcass characteristics in zebu and crossbred holstein-zebu (F1) steers in the growing and finishing phases. Recovered from scielo.br.