THRISSUR: The administrators of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics, of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), are all set to the knock the doors of Guinness Book of World Records officials to include two Vechur cows in the book, touted to be the smallest cows in the world.
According centre director Dr K V Raghunandhan, the fully grown cows, seven-year-old Diana and eight-year-old Lakshmi, housed at the Veterinary College in Mannuthy, near here, are the smallest cows in the world, with 77 cm and 79 cm in height, respectively. The current record-holder is a Dexter cow named Swallow from Cheshire in England, with a height of 84 cm.
“It was in September 2010 that Swallow entered the Guinness Book claiming it is the smallest cow in the world. When we measured, both Diana and Lakshmi were found to be smaller than Swallow, which prompted us to claim the title. We have already started the documentation work and will soon approach the Guinness Book officials with the required certificates, scientific proofs, etc.,” Raghunandhan said.
Though the farmers, for whom the centre is conducting many advanced researches on animals, will not have any benefit from the record, the authorities believe that the record will help popularise the Vechur breed across the globe. Vechur cow is a rare breed of Bos indicus cattle, which is docile, short and disease-resistant. Being small, its food requirement is also low. An adult female gives 2.5 to 3.5 litres of milk a day, which has a high fat content of 4.5 to 5 percent.