Australia needed Sahiwal qualities
Sahiwals are beef producers with pure Bos indicus genes. On the advice of the CSIRO they were imported into Australia from Pakistan in 1950 by the Australian Government. The reason was to provide an ongoing resource of Bos indicus, particularly for infused breeds which may be losing their Bos indicus content.
Apart from Bos Indicus features of Sahiwals, they were chosen because of their other qualities needed in the beef industry, like heat tolerance, high degree of drought resistance, as well as a resistance to parasites, both internal and external.
Having been in the field since1960, they have demonstrated an ability to sire small but quick growing, livable calves. High grade Sahiwals, when used over the larger British/European breeds, will go a long way towards eliminating problems with calving. These same high grade Sahiwals, used over non-Indicus cattle, will also produce a carcass of lean meat, with desirable fat cover which meets the requirements of the market. Their fast muscle growth genes provide this feature.
The meticulous systems, stud records and herd recording that is followed in Australia have resulted in the unexpected situation where [lie records of Sahiwal genetics are more reliable in Australia than it is in Pakistan. On the global scene there is currently a scientific project in place to map the genetics of all cattle breeds. ': his is the Bovine Genome lap ping program.
When the London based international research body attempted to locate herds in Pakistan with meticulous records it was found that the level of precision in the records was just not available. The CSIRO was approached to find if there were any Sahiwal herds in Australia with reliable records and the Australian herd book was found to be accurate, detailed and reliable. In what may seem a bizarre situation, herds belonging to members of the Australian Sahiwal Association were used as the source information for the Bovine Genome Mapping program.
This may prove a number of things about the professionalism of the Australian cattle industry generally but one thing it definitely proves is the fact that anyone purchasing registered Sahiwals in Australia can be sure they are getting the absolutely genetically authentic product. Sahiwals are generally red in colour, ranging through reddish brown with various amounts of white on the neck, the underline and even on the body. In males, the colour darkens towards the extremities which may even be black. The cattle imported to Australia carried very little white on them.
Sahiwals are characterized by their high fertility. The females display ease of calving and have a reproductive life of up to 20 years. Once the calf is born they are excellent mothers. Another benefit for both stud and commercial operators is that there is a short period between calving and the ability for the animal to conceive again.
When crossed with other breeds Sahiwals produce excellent hybrid vigor. They have a kick and parasite resistance, excellent feed conversion rates and are adaptable to a variety of geographical areas and climates within Australia. As medium sized, low maintenance cattle, they are suitable for use in small farms.
The Australian Sahiwal Association was formed in the mid-1960s and it currently has 15 members, mainly in Queensland and northern NSW.
The aim of the association is to promote the breed and to give support to stud owners - both those who are long standing members as well as those who are new.
Saturday 24 December 2011