The White Fulani cattle are a beautiful breed of cattle mainly kept for meat/beef production. It is also known by some other names such as Akou, Bunaji, Fellata, White Bororo, White Kano and Yakanaji.
The White Fulani cattle are an important cattle breed throughout the area conquered by the Fulani people and beyond in the Sahel zone of Africa. And most of these cattle are owned by the normadic Fulani people.
The nomadic Fulani people occupy the belt between the Sahara and the rain forest from the west of the river Senegal to the east of Lake Chand. This also include parts of western Senegal, Southern Maurita, in and around the flood plains of Niger, northern Nigeria, Chand and Cameroon.
Exact origins of the White Fulani cattle are still unknown. But there are many opinions about the origins of this cattle breed. Some people say that ‘the White Fulani are truly long-horned zebus’. Such opinion is mainly due to the appearance of a distinct hump in a newborn bull calf, and the characteristics nature of skull and thoracic vertebrae.
And according to other opinion ‘the breed resulted from interbreeding first between the short-horned zebu and the ancient Hamitic longhorn and/or shorthorn to result in a Sanga breed. And then interbreeding these Sanga with thoracic humped zebu animals could have resulted in cattle with lyre-shaped horns including the White Fulani. (source: agtr.ilri.cgiar.org)
Whatever the opinions are, these animals are mostly Zebu but of Sanga cattle origin. And the White Fulani and Red Fulani cattle breeds are quite separate. They are separate both in the locations they are kept and in origin. However, read more information about this cattle breed below.
White Fulani Cattle Characteristics
White Fulani cattle are medium sized animal with long horns. They are easily characterized by their long and lyre-shaped horns. Their horns are usually 80-105 cm long. As the name suggests, the coat color of the White Fulani cattle is commonly white on a black skin.
They usually have black ears, eyes, hooves, horn tips, muzzle and tip of tail. They have well developed dewlap and thoracic or sometimes intermediate hump. They are generally narrower and taller bodied animal, and their rump is of good length but has marked slope from hook to pin bones.
Udder of the cows is well developed and is of good shaped. Head of these animal is long and wide across the forehead. Average body weight of the mature bulls is about 350 to 665 kg. And the cows on average weight about 250 to 380 kg. Photo from agtr.ilri.cgiar.org
Uses
The White Fulani cattle are dual purpose animal. They are excellent for meat production and pretty good for milk production. But they are mainly kept for meat production.
Special Notes
White Fulani cattle are very hardy and strong animals. They are well adapted to long distance trekking in the pastoral management. They can survive and perform well in hot weather, and are more tolerant to heat as compared to some other breeds.
The cows are pretty good milk producers, and on average the cows can produce about 627 to 1034 kg of milk per lactation. Their average lactation length is around 220 days. Milk of the cow contain high butterfat.
And average butterfat content percentages vary from 4.1 to 7.5 percent. The breed is also very good for meat production, and fatten quite well in feedlots and on natural pastures. Review full breed profile of this breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | White Fulani |
| Other Name | Akou, Bunaji, Fellata, White Bororo, White Kano and Yakanaji |
| Breed Purpose | Meat, Milk |
| Special Notes | Active, Hardy, Fast growers |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Bulls | About 350-665 kg |
| Cows | About 250-380 kg |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | White |
| Horned | Yes |
| Milk Yield | Poor |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Not sure |
