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Effects of supplemental prepartum feeding and limited suckling on postpartum reproductive performance of milked Nili-Ravi water buffaloes were examined in two 2 x 2 factorial experiments. Prepartum feeding was either moderate (metabolizable energy = 32 Mcal/d) or high (46 Mcal/d) in Experiment 1 and high (46 Mcal/d) or very high (51 Mcal/d) in Experiment 2. Nutritional treatment was initiated about 75 d prior to calving and stopped at parturition. Half of the buffaloes were suckled by their calves twice daily (2 min at each milking) until second estrus. Prepartum feeding did not influence any trait measured in either experiment. Postpartum intervals to uterine involution, resumption of follicular development, first rise in milk progesterone, first palpable corpus luteum, and first estrus were longer for limited-suckled buffaloes than for those that were only milked. Most buffaloes (86%) showed at least one short luteal phase (8 to 13 d) before first estrus. Number of rises of progesterone before first estrus was greater for limited- suckled buffaloes in Experiment 2 but not in Experiment 1. Luteal activity after first estrus (15 to 19 d) and pregnancy rate to insemination at second estrus (average 50%) did not differ with limited suckling. In conclusion, postpartum anestrus of water buffaloes can be shortened by weaning calves at birth, regardless of supplemental feeding prepartum.

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Two experiments were conducted to measure response to prepartum feeding using 101 Nili-Ravi buffaloes of mixed ages and lactation numbers. Nutritional treatment was initiated approximately 75 d before calving and stopped at parturition. Levels of prepartum feeding were moderate and high in Experiment 1 and high and very high in Experiment 2. Estimated daily intakes of metabolizable energy by buffaloes on moderate, high, and very high intake treatments were 31.9, 45.8, and 50.6 Mcal, respectively. Prepartum feeding affected the BW gain by buffaloes in both experiments. Yields of milk and milk fat for first 75 d were greater for buffaloes on higher prepartum feeding treatments. In Experiment 2, buffaloes suckled for a limited time produced more milk than nonsuckled buffaloes, but the difference was small. Calf birth weight increased with increasing prepartum feeding in both experiments. Gain in BW of buffalo calves from birth to 75 d of age had no relationship with birth weight. In Experiment 2, calf weight gain was influenced by the interaction of dam's prepartum feeding and suckling. In conclusion, improvement in prepartum feeding can be used to increase milk yield and birth weight of Nili-Ravi buffaloes.

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