Effect of cooling on reproductive behaviour in buffaloes (Bos-bubalis)

Abstract

It has been reported recently (Stott, 1974) that in cattle, reproductive efficiency is increased by keeping the animals under cool climatic conditions. However, in buffaloes very limited information is available. Roy, Sengupta & Misra (1962) have reported that all buffaloes exhibited oestrus and were inseminated in a group protected from direct sun radiation whereas in a non-protected group only one showed oestrus. There is no systematic information available on the effect of wallowing and showers on the oestrual behaviour of buffaloes. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of cooling on oestrual behaviour in buffaloes. MATERIALS AND METHODSForty-five normal lactating buffaloes were taken from the Punjab Agricultural University Dairy Farm belonging to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Buffalo Improvement Project for this study. These were divided into three groups, balanced for their body weight, lactation, number, milk yield and date of calving. They were fed a concentrate mixture at the rate of 1 kg/day/ buffalo for maintenance and at the rate of 1 kg/ buffalo for every 2 kg of milk produced. In addition to this, they were fed roughage ad libitum. All animals were kept in a half-walled pucca open shed with the dimensions of 45-75 x 20-7 m with a covered area of 6-49 x 45-75 m having half wall height of 1-4 m.There were two types of climatic conditions during the experimental period as shown in Table 1. The first period was hot and dry during the months of May and June when the average temperature was 39 °C and average relative humidity was 47-3% while the second period from July to September was hot and humid with average temperature 35 °C and average relative humidity 91-8%. Prior to the start of the experiment all the buffaloes were given a 15 day adjustment period. At 11.00 and 15.00 h daily, all animals in group II were given showers for half an hour whereas animals of group III were sent to wallow at the same time and for the same duration. In addition to this all animals in groups I, II and III were splashed with water from buckets on their bodies once a day before milking as a usual routine farm practice. The different environmental variables recorded (inside the shed) were dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature, maximum and minimum temperature, light intensity, wind velocity and relative humidity. Some of these variables are shown in Table 1.The time of onset of oestrus in the experimental buffaloes was detected daily every 4 h starting at 05.00 h by using a teaser bull (vasectomized). The buffaloes first detected in oestrus were removed from the shed so that other animals in oestrus could not be ignored by the bull. The difference in the time of onset and passing of oestrus was taken as the duration of oestrus. The interval between two oestruses was recorded as the oestrus cycle. Percentage conception rate was calculated after diagnosing pregnancy 90 days after insemination. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONIn period 1 (hot and dry) the percentage of animals that ...

A review of female cattle reproduction with special reference to a comparison between buffaloes, cows and zebu

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Effect of spray cooling and wallowing on potassium concentration of erythrocytes in buffaloes (Bos bubalis) during summer

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