Sahiwal
A heat-tolerant zebu from the Punjab, kept for milk, meat and draught work
The Sahiwal is a humped zebu breed that takes its name from the Punjab, where most of its herds still live in what is now Pakistan. It is small to medium, reddish dun with small horns, and farmers keep it for milk, meat and work as oxen.
- Named after Sahiwal District in the Punjab of present-day Pakistan.
- Pakistan bulls average 544 kg and 170 cm; cows 408 kg and 130 cm.
- Coat is reddish dun, sometimes with white markings; horns are small.
- Milk, meat and ox work all come from it: a triple-purpose breed.
- Listed as not at risk by the FAO in 2007 and DAD-IS in 2025.
What do Sahiwal cattle look like?
A zebu, so it carries a hump over the shoulders. The Sahiwal is small to medium, reddish dun in coat and sometimes marked with white. Bulls are the bigger sex: in Pakistan they average 544 kg and stand about 170 cm at the withers, the top of the shoulder, while cows come in near 408 kg and 130 cm. Cows in India are smaller again, about 327 kg and 124 cm. A bull's hump is large and may lean to one side, and the crown of his head is domed. Horns are small in both sexes.
Where does the Sahiwal come from?
Sahiwal District, in the Punjab province of present-day Pakistan, gives the breed its name. The cattle themselves are native to the Indian subcontinent. Most of them live in that same Pakistani province, with further herds in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Over the years live animals have gone abroad: to Burundi, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania and Zambia in Africa, among others; to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines in Asia; to Australia and New Zealand; and to Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras and Ecuador in the Americas.
What the Sahiwal is known for
What sets the Sahiwal apart is its tolerance of heat. That quality helps explain its travels: it has been taken to many countries across four continents, and breeders there have used it in crossing programmes. Cows in India are noticeably smaller than cows in Pakistan, and the breed as a whole is classed as small to medium. Bulls develop a large hump, sometimes leaning to one side, and a domed crown on the skull.
How the Sahiwal is bred and kept
Crossing is where the Sahiwal has been most in demand. It has been mated with European dairy cattle, the Jersey and the Friesian among them, and breeders in several countries have used it as a parent of new breeds, some of which carry its name. Where population figures are gathered, cross-bred animals are not always counted apart from pure-bred ones, so the totals may cover both kinds.
Sahiwal, drawn
What the Sahiwal is kept for
Milk, meat and draught work all come from the same animal, which is why the Sahiwal is called a triple-purpose breed: cows are milked, young stock go for meat, and trained oxen pull. It handles heat well, so it has been drawn into dairying and cross-breeding programmes in many countries, and its blood runs in several later dairy breeds. Live animals have been carried to 27 countries on four continents.
The land and climate of the Sahiwal
Home is the Punjab, on both sides of the border between India and Pakistan. From there the breed has travelled to a long list of countries on four continents. Herds are kept in many parts of Africa and Asia, and also in Australia and New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Heat tolerance is the quality most often noted about it, and it is the trait that lets it settle so far from home.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
From returns made by seven countries in recent years, the world herd is put at about 4.25 million head. Pakistan's last count, in 2006, came to more than 2.75 million animals, by far the largest single share, and the country has sent in no numbers since. Some totals collected elsewhere do not separate cross-bred from pure-bred stock. The breed has been sent to 27 countries on four continents. Its status is given as not at risk, by the FAO in 2007 and by DAD-IS in 2025.
From the Sahiwal
Questions people ask about Sahiwal
Where does the Sahiwal come from?
It is named after Sahiwal District in the Punjab province of what is now Pakistan, and it is native to the Indian subcontinent. Most animals are in that province, with other herds in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.
What is it kept for?
It gives milk, meat and draught work, so it is classed as a triple-purpose breed. It has also been used widely in cross-breeding, and several later dairy breeds were developed with its help.
What does it look like?
A small to medium zebu in a reddish dun coat, sometimes with white markings. Bulls carry a large hump that can lean to one side and a domed crown, and both sexes have small horns.
How many Sahiwals are there?
About 4.25 million head worldwide, worked out from figures sent in by seven countries in recent years. Pakistan, with the biggest share, last reported more than 2.75 million animals in 2006.
Is the breed in danger?
No. The FAO classed it as not at risk in 2007, and DAD-IS said the same in 2025. It has also been exported to 27 countries on four continents, so its herds are spread widely.
Good reading and sources
- Sahiwal cattle on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Sahiwal 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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