Kangayam
In its own language: காங்கேயம்
A grey Tamil draught zebu whose bulls run in races and in the Jallikattu arena
A medium-sized draught zebu from the Kongu Nadu country around Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, South India, named for the town of Kangeyam. Grey in coat, red as calves, it is worked in the fields, gives modest milk, and its bulls appear in races and in Jallikattu.
- Named after Kangeyam, a taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu
- Calves are born red and turn grey by two years of age
- Cows average about 540 kg of milk a year at 3.9% fat
- Bulls run in traditional races and appear in Jallikattu
- In Brazil the breed goes by the name Cangaian
What do Kangayam cattle look like?
The Kangayam is a medium-sized zebu, horned, standing about 125 to 140 cm at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades, and weighing roughly 340 to 525 kg. Two builds are described within the breed, a larger sort and a smaller one. The coat is grey. Calves arrive red, and the red washes out until, by about two years old, they are grey. The cows are grey, sometimes a darker grey, and they pale with the years, the oldest finishing almost or quite white. Bulls keep a deeper tone, and a few go so dark over the forequarters and head that they seem black. Cows average about 341 kg, bulls about 523 kg.
Where does the Kangayam come from?
This is an old working breed of Tamil Nadu. Its heartland is Kongu Nadu, the country around Coimbatore where Tamil Nadu meets Kerala, and the name comes from Kangeyam, a taluk, or county division, within Tiruppur District. From that home it has spread across a much wider stretch of the state. Though both are draught animals of Tamil Nadu, it is no close relative of the Umblachery; the Ongole of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh may have left some mark on its blood. Animals sent to Brazil have settled there under the name Cangaian.
What the Kangayam is known for
Everything here points to work rather than the milk pail. For generations this was a mainstay of draught farming in Tamil Nadu, and its bulls are the kind that get picked for the race track and for Jallikattu, contests that reward a quick and determined animal. The cows give only small quantities of milk. As a zebu of the indicus type, the breed belongs to the humped cattle of the hot lands.
Kangayam, drawn
What the Kangayam is kept for
Work comes first. Together with the Hallikar, this was one of the two main draught breeds of Tamil Nadu, supplying working oxen to the state's farms. Milk is a side matter: a cow yields between 342 and 1455 kg a year, about 540 kg on average, with roughly 3.9% fat. The bulls have a second calling. They run in traditional bull races, in which Ongole and Hallikar males also compete, and they are among the animals that appear in Jallikattu, a long-standing sport of Tamil Nadu.
The land and climate of the Kangayam
The breed belongs to South India. It took shape in Kongu Nadu, the country around Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu near the Kerala border, and from there it spread over a wide part of the state. Herds now also live in Brazil, where the same animal answers to the name Cangaian.
At a glance: where it belongs
Land and climate
Celebrations
The Kangayam at fairs and festivals
Two kinds of contest put the breed before crowds. One is the traditional bull race, where Kangayam bulls run against rivals from the Ongole and Hallikar breeds. The other is Jallikattu, the old sport of Tamil Nadu, in which bulls of this breed are regulars. Both are traditional contests rather than modern creations.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
Counts suggest a breed that has shrunk. In 1996 the population stood at 479,000 head. By 2022 the figure entered in DAD-IS, the FAO's worldwide breed database, was a range of 127,500 to 152,500. Even so, the Food and Agriculture Organization classed it as not at risk in 2007, and DAD-IS repeated that judgement in 2021. Besides India, the breed has a foothold in Brazil as the Cangaian.
From the Kangayam
Questions people ask about Kangayam
Where does the Kangayam come from?
It is a draught breed of Tamil Nadu in South India. Its home ground is Kongu Nadu, the country around Coimbatore near the Kerala border, and it takes its name from Kangeyam, a taluk of Tiruppur District. From there it has spread over a much wider area.
What are Kangayam cattle kept for?
Mostly for work: with the Hallikar it was one of the two main draught breeds of Tamil Nadu, harnessed for heavy jobs. The cows yield only small amounts of milk, while the bulls are raced and appear in the traditional sport of Jallikattu.
What colour are they?
Calves are red when they are born but turn grey by about two years old. Cows are grey, sometimes a darker grey, and grow paler with age, the oldest ending up wholly white. Bulls keep a darker coat, and a few go so dark over the forequarters and head that they seem black.
How big do they grow?
They are medium-sized cattle. Cows stand about 125 cm at the withers, the highest point of the shoulders, and weigh around 341 kg; bulls reach some 140 cm and 523 kg. Two body types are described within the breed, one larger and one smaller.
How much milk does a Kangayam cow give?
Very little by dairy standards. A yearly yield runs from 342 to 1455 kg, averaging about 540 kg, with a fat content of roughly 3.9%. The breed is valued for draught work rather than for the pail.
Good reading and sources
- Kangayam cattle on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Kangayam cattle", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryCow rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Sizes, colours and customs differ from one herd, valley or breeder to the next. Folk beliefs are described as tradition, never as advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-16.
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