Ankole-Watusi cattle are animals that are multipurpose. They’re used for both milk and meat production. And also great for using to get draught show functions and works.
The Ankole-Watusi cows are a breed of cows. It’s also referred to as Ankole Longhorn, also sometimes known as only Ankole or even Watusi. It is a landrace breed, a type of Sanga cows and initially native to East Africa.
It is an ancient strain and depictions and historical rock paintings of these creatures are observed from the Sahara region and in the Egyptian arts and pyramid walls.
The Sanga breed has spread into Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and parts of Africa, getting the base stock of the cattle populations. The Sanga breed includes most of the typical Zebu features like also the horns and sheath, the hump of size and the dewlap.
No matter how the Ankole-Watusi cows have played an essential role in the lives of African tribes such as Bahima Ankole, Bashi, Bakiga, Kivu and Tutsi. The strain supplied the people of those tribes with tribal, food and money status. The breed came in the United States. Read more information about the breed under.
Ankole-Watusi Cattle
Ankole-Watusi cattle are medium-sized creatures. They are easily characterized by their very horns that were distinctive that were large. Their horns may reach up to 2.4 meters from tip to tip and they also use their horns for defense and cooling by honeycombs of blood vessels.
They possess a throat hump and sometimes have a topline. They can be solid or spotted in color. As a medium-sized creature, the average body weight of the mature cows that are Ankole-Watusi varies from 430-540 kg. And the bulls on burden between 730 and 540 kg.
Only 14 to 23 kg is weighted by newborn calves and stay little for many months. This very low birth-weight makes bulls helpful for breeding to heifers of other breeds.
The Ankole-Watusi cows are animals that are very hardy and active. They are very well adapted for their native ponds and can survive in some areas. They’re excellent grazers and have the ability to use poor-quality forage and limited quantities of feed and water.
This very low water and nourish survival skills have enabled them as a breed to not only endure for centuries in Africa but also become recognized in Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. The calves sleep during the day using an ‘auntie’ cow for security. And the herd members sleeping together at night with all the calves in the middle of this group for security.
The Ankole-Watusi cows are grazed all day under conventional management for milk production, subsequently brought for their young calf. Then the calf is allowed to suckle to stimulate milk letdown, then the cows are milked. The calf suckles farther hand milking has finished and then are separated by their mom after and the whole procedure is repeated in the morning.
The cows are typical milk producers but their milk is rich in high butterfat content. Milk of the cows comprise approximately ten percent of fat. That is why crossbred Ankole-Watusi cows have been used by some dairy farmers in their hers to raise the butterfat levels. The breed is also good for meat production and good for show functions and draught works.
Ankole-Watusi Cattle Breed Information
| Breed Name | Ankole-Watusi |
| Other Name | Ankole Longhorn, Ankole or Watusi |
| Breed Purpose | Milk, meat, draught, show |
| Special Notes | Well adapted to native climates, very good for meat production, good for milk, grow faster, cows are excellent mothers, excellent quality milk, very hardy |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Weight Bulls | 430-540 kg |
| Cows | 540-730 kg |
| Climate Tolerance | Almost all climates |
| Coat Color | May be solid or spotted |
| Horned | Yes |
| Milk Yield | Average |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | East Africa |
