Arsi

Arsi cattle are an Ethiopian zebu-type cattle population associated with the Arsi and Bale highlands and surrounding mixed farming areas. They are generally small to moderate in size, with a hump, loose skin, and variable coat colors from red and brown to black or pied. The breed belongs to the practical working cattle of the region rather than to a highly standardized show type, and it has been shaped by altitude, seasonal feed shortages, local disease pressure, and the need for animals that can serve more than one purpose.

Rural households use Arsi cattle for milk, calves, manure, and oxen for ploughing, often feeding them on natural grazing, crop residues, and cut fodder as seasons change. Selection tends to favor cows that breed back under low-input conditions and bulls that can work as well as sire calves. Conservation-minded breeding in Ethiopia must balance improvement for milk or growth with the risk of losing local adaptation through indiscriminate crossing with high-yielding dairy or larger beef breeds.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Grey, Highbelt, Highpark, Lineback, Mottled, Pied, Red, Red and White, Red Roan, Riggit, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Solid White, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow