Influence of Different Managerial Systems on Performance and Physiological Responses of Developing Buffalo Calves During Fattening Period

Abstract

Sixteen yearling male buffalo calves weighing 160 kg were assigned to 2x2 factorial designs. Each four calf group was subjected to either long (16L:8D) or short (8L:16D) photoperiods and housed in individual or group system. The four groups were fed CFM and wheat straw. Feed intake and residual were recorded daily. Samples of feces and food ration were collected for analysis. Digestion coefficients, nutritive values and feed efficiency were calculated. Animals were weighed biweekly. Blood samples were collected monthly to determine total protein, albumin, globulin, ALT/GPT, AST/GOT and total cholesterol. Housing systems did not have any significant effects on calf body weight and growth rate while; photoperiod had significant effect (P≤0.01) on them. Housing systems did not have any significant effects on the digestion coefficients and nutritive values, while, photoperiod systems had highly significant (P≤0.01) effect on digestibility coefficients and nutritive values of buffalo calves. Calves exposed to long photoperiod (16L:8D) and housed in group pens were more efficient in converting feed to gain than calves exposed to short photoperiod (8L:16D) and housed in individual pens. Total protein (P≤0.05), albumin (P≤0.01) and ALT/GPT (P≤0.05) was significantly affected by the housing system. All blood parameters were not significantly affected except cholesterol level was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by photoperiod. The interaction between housing systems and photoperiods did not have any significant differences on growth performance, feed conversion efficiency or metabolic response. It could be concluded that rearing buffalo calves individually with increasing illumination period to 16 hours/ day may improve feed efficiency and growth performance without compromising the physiological status of the calves during the fattening period.