[2][3] After Hisar was depopulated in Chalisa famine (1783–84 CE), the farm was set up in 1809 by Major James Lumsdaine during British Raj as a private camel stud to supply camels to army, taken over by the British East India Company (EIC) in 1901.
Hisar farm was used to breed and cross-breed camels, bovine (ox) and studs (horses) to improve the breed and supply to the British Indian Army to reduce reliance on the Banjara suppliers who supplied bovine to both British and their adversaries.
The farm regularly and exclusively supplied animals to Bengal Presidency, as well as to the Northern Circars, Nagpur and Burma (during First Anglo-Burmese War) on occasional needs basis.
An 1830 suggestion of Governors General Lord William Bentinck to close down the farm was not implemented and in 1833 the attempts to cross-breed Mysore breed with native cattle were abandoned due to disappointing results.
During the early years, since the farm was dependent on the rain only the cattle were moved to other areas to north and northeast (as far as 260 km to Doon Valley) during fodder famine in 1833–34, 1837–38, 1841–42 and 1844.