The Gir or Gyr is one of the principal Zebu breeds originating in India. It has been used locally in the improvement of other breeds including the Red Sindhi and the Sahiwal. It was also one of the breeds used in the development of the Brahman breed in North America. In Brazil and other South American countries the Gir is used frequently because, as a Bos indicus breed, it is resistant to hot temperatures and tropical diseases. It is well known for its milk producing qualities and is often bred with Friesian cows to make the Girolando breed.

The Gir is distinctive in appearance, typically having a rounded and domed forehead (being the only ultra convex breed in the world), long pendulous ears and horns which spiral out and back. Gir are generally mottled with the colour ranging from red through yellow to white, black being the only unacceptable colour. They originated in west India in the state of Gujarat and have since spread to neighbouring Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Cows average 385 kg in weight and 130 cm in height; bulls weigh 545 kg on average, with a height of 140 cm. At birth, calves weigh about 20 kg. The average milk yield for the Gir is 1590 kg per lactation, with a record production of 3182 kg at 4.5% fat in India. In Brazil they average 3500 kg per lactation, with a world record production of 17 120 kg by the cow Profana de Brasília.

In 2003 the Gir numbered about 915 000, or 37% of the 2.5 million cattle population of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. In 2010 the population in Brazil was estimated at approximately five million.

Gir Cow Farming Benefits:

• Add more value as the breed is considered as the best dairy breed found in the country.
• Produces high quality milk along with higher quantity when compared to other breeds. Also A-2 beta casein protein is present in the milk.
• Breed is highly adaptable and can adjust to many habitat conditions.
• Farming Gir cows does not require a big maintenance structure.
• The Gir cows have a low rate of mortality and average span of life for the same is around 12 to 15 years.
• These cows have a higher fertility rate and produce an average of 10 calves in its lifespan.
• Is resistant to many diseases.
• Milk value is high and cows are highly adaptable to mechanical milking.
• For rearing this breed, mostly natural mating technique is preferred and not artificial insemination.