It is named for the nomadic Rath people of that area,[6] who move with their cattle according to the available pasture and water resources, and depend on sales of cattle, ghee and milk for their living.[5]: 133
It is quite distinct from the white or grey Rath breed of draught cattle similar to the Hariana, described in 1909 and again in 1953[7]: 134 in the Alwar district of eastern Rajasthan – some 400 km from the range of the Rathi breed – for which no modern status data is available.[5]: 131 [4]: 278
Use
Milk yield is approximately 1530 kg in a lactation of 309 days; the milk has a fat content of 5.3%.[2]
^ abcBreed data sheet: Rathi / India (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2024.
^ abcRathi. Dairy Knowledge Portal. Anand, Gujarat: National Dairy Development Board. Archived 15 April 2024.
^N.R. Joshi, Ralph W. Phillips (1953). Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan. FAO Agriculture Studies No. 19. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
These are the cattle breeds considered in India to be wholly or partly of Indian origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Indian.