Nadudana Cattle Queensland

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HISTORY:

Nadudana, a Hindi word meaning small cattle, have a stable gene line reaching back many centuries in India, some claim even as far back as 3000BC.

Formal records trace the breeds back into the 1600's for many breeds of pure Zebus. The word Zebu is derived from the Tibetan word 'ceba', which means 'hump'.

Nadudana cattle are known to be one of the oldest, rarest and truest breed of small cattle in the world. They were kept and bred on temple grounds for their small size.

The common ancestor of all bovines was called an aurochs. These are the cattle displayed in the cave paintings of western Europe-humped cattle with lyre-shaped horns, small hindquarters and massive, deep chests. They became extinct in the 1600s, although recent attempts to recreate the aurochs have resulted in a striking resemblance to the original.

Descendants of the aurochs were bison, yaks, and two types of cattle; Bos Taurus in Europe and Bos Indicus in South-eastern Asia. Bos Taurus are the cows we're all familiar with-large, heavy beef and dairy cattle. Bos Indicus have humps, ''twitchy'' skin, and thrive in hot, humid conditions. Humped cattle are called Zebu. There are about 40 known breeds or varieties, mostly in the area of India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. The African continent has another 35 Zebu breeds.

In southern India, which is one of the principal cattle-raising districts of all India, there exists cattle known as the “NADUDANA'' or small cattle. A few of these were imported in the 1920 to the zoological gardens in the U.S.A. After many years of trying, by various people, the first Nadudana's were imported into Australia in January 1995, with further imports of mature bulls in July 1995. There has only been 19 pure Nadudanas imported in Australia.

The first purebred calf in Australia was born in August 1996 and the first purebred embryo calf was born in September 1996. "Frosty" is believed to be the first successful embryo transfer Nadudana in the world.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

At first glance they appear to be tiny Brahmans, but they're actually very different in their conformation. They are a robust, stylish, dual purpose animal, active, vigorous and very curious showing breed character and vitality, well proportioned and muscled. Bulls are masculine and cows feminine. These cattle are regarded to be placid, docile and easy to handle, probable due to their centuries of domestication in India

These diminutive cattle are properly proportioned for their size. The mature Nadudana should not exceed 107cm as measured across the back behind the hump.

The cattle are also virtually disease free, as well as being resistant to Ticks and Bloat.

They are long-lived; 18 to 20 years is the average age.

THE HUMP:

Nadudanas most distinctive feature is their hump and it is this feature that they have been often singled out, The term ''ZEBU'' meaning 'THE HUMP OF THE CAMEL'' was adopted in 1752 at the Paris agricultural fair to describe all breeds of bos indicus. The hump was an artificially developed characteristic. It came about by a process of selection by farmers in the middle east in an area stretching from Mesopotamia to Pakistan. The first domesticated cattle were known to have existed nearly 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and were not humped. The selection process for a larger hump was aimed at obtaining the best cattle as beast of burden and for pulling ploughs, in the hump; it is a well developed muscle, well marbled and has no bone. It is cooked as a delicacy in South American countries and expanding to Australia.

BREED STANDARD OF THE NADUDANA: