Vechur Cow - a rare cattle breed of Kerala

Named after the village of Vechoor in Kottayam district of Kerala, the Vechur cow is a rare breed with an average length of 124 cm and height of 87 cm. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the smallest of all cow breeds in the world. Vechur cows produce considerably large amount of milk and were once popular in Kerala till the 1960s and later became rare when native cattle were crossbred with exotic varieties.

In 2000, the Vechur cow was listed on the FAO's World Watch List of Domestic Animal Diversity, in its ‘Critical-Maintained Breeds' List’. Around 200 cows are supposed to exist today, nearly 100 of them with the Veterinary College.

For more information please contact Prof. Sosamma Iype - sosammaiype@hotmail.com of Vechur Conservation Trust, www.vechur.org.