Kenya #1 Cattle Breeds

1-The Kenya Sahiwal belongs to the Small East African Zebu cattle group. The Kenya Sahiwal started in 1939 when three bulls were -imported from a Sahiwal herd kept in Pusa — a community development block in the Samastipur district of the north-central Bihar state in northeastern India. Following that, a total of 60 Sahiwal bulls and 12 Sahiwal cows were imported from both India and Pakistan from 1939–1963. 2-Kenya Zebu cattle are known by a number of different names which reflect either the tribe that owns them or the district where they are found. The following cattle populations are not distinct and different breeds — they are subgroups of Kenya Zebu cattle: Kamasia Kamba (also named: Akamba, Ukamba, Wakamba) Kavirondo Kikuyu (also named: Highland Zebu) Kipsiki Maasai Nandi (also named: Nandi Blue) Samburu Suk Watende 3-The Kikuyu (aka Highland Zebu) is one of the many names used for Kenya Zebu cattle. The Kikuyu are a Bantu tribe in southeast Kenya and for them having cattle is a sign of wealth. 4-Masai (most common name) • Masai (transboundary/brand name) also named (English in Tanzania): • Tanganyika Shorthorn Zebu (TSHZ) (transboundary/brand name) also named (English in Kenya, Tanzania): • East African Shorthorned Zebu (local/other name) Maasai cattle are found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The spelling ‘Maasai’ is preferable because both Kenya and Tanzania use it for their cattle, as do the Maasai people, and most reseach references. The Maasai belongs to the Kenya Zebu cattle group and the Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu cattle group — both groups are categorized overall as Small East African Zebu cattle. The Maasai, in both Kenya and Tanzania, is kept by a Nilo-Hamitic tribe named Maasai whose life revolves around their cattle. It was during the 17th century that the Maasai people migrated into Kenya and settled south of Lake Turkana (formerly known as Lake Rudolf, located in the Kenyan Rift Valley and known both as the world’s largest permanent desert lake and largest alkaline lake). The appearance of Maasai cattle can vary quite a bit mainly due to a centuries-old tradition of stealing cattle from other tribes. This activity increased dramatically after almost losing all of their cattle to rinderpest, famine, drought, smallpox and the jigger flea during the late 19th century. Maasai cattle mostly live under semi-arid climatic conditions and trek long distances in search of water due to inadequate supply. For the nomadic Masai cattle is the most valuable and important thing they own. Traditionally, they don't grow crops or even do much hunting. They entire way of life revolves around their herds of cattle. The Masai get nearly all of their food from their herds of cattle, in the form of either milk or meat. Though they do drink the blood as well, it's not really something that's done as a regular meal-time event. They generally don't hunt or grow their own crops. The cattle are literally their bread and butter. In each village, the cows are protected and herded by the men, but the milking is done by the women. Cows are Also a Form of Wealth. Because of their importance, the Masai use cattle as their form of currency and wealth. On average, each individual of the Masai tribe owns around 15 head of cattle, which makes these people among the wealthiest in Kenya, if a dollar value was placed on their herds. Cattle change hands for any major transaction, specifically when a warrior seeks to marry. He must pay a bride price in cattle. According to the legends of the Masai, their cattle were given to them by their god and therefore are considered property of the Masai tribe. In the past, this idea led to a lot of cattle poaching from surrounding tribes and ranches. After all, what harm is there taking back something that was theirs in the first place? Today, the practice of cattle theft has pretty much come to an end. But after generations of stealing cattle from other tribes, the Masai cattle are not strictly one particular breed. Their cows are quite a mixed bag. Along with their herds of prized cows, the Masai also keep other livestock, like goats and sheep. The Masai are very observant with their cows and can recognize each one by their colour and body shape. Some groups use cuts on the cows' ears to help identify them. The herds of cattle require large amounts of land in order to get the pasture and water that they need. Once, the Masai territory spread all through the Great Rift Valley region of Kenya and Tanzania. Since the late 1800s, their numbers have shrunk due to drought and small pox epidemics. Large chunks of their land were taken by the Kenyan government to create large game preserves, such as the Nairobi National Park, the Masai Mara game preserve, and the Serengeti National Park. So with less land, the Masai have less room to roam their cattle. 5-The Nandi (aka Nandi Blue) is one of the many names used for Kenya Zebu cattle. Nandi cattle are a small, fine-boned zebu with a coat color that can vary a great deal – but many are a uniform black, red, fawn or grey. 6-The Boran belongs to the Large East African Zebu cattle group and is shorthorned. The Boran originated in southern Ethiopia in the Borana District and is kept by the Borana tribes. The Borana people are nomadic so Boran cattle spread from Ethiopia to Somalia and Kenya. The five varieties of Boran are: the Ethiopian Boran the Galla Boran the Kenya Boran the Orma Boran the Somalian Boran 7-The Taita (aka Taveta) is a Small East African Zebu found in the lowlands and coastal areas of southeast Kenya.