Effect of Season and Age at First Calving on Early Performance Traits in Murrah Buffaloes

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
GURPREET KOUR ◽  
RAMAN NARANG ◽  
AMANDEEP SINGH

The present investigation was carried on 659 Murrah buffaloes, sired by 188 bulls, maintained at Directorate of Livestock Farms, Guru AngadDev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, for the duration of 27 years (1991-2017). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of non-genetic factors like season and age at first calving on early reproductive and productive traits like age at first calving (AFC), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI) and age at puberty (AAP), 305 day milk yield (305MY), first lactation length (FLL), first peak yield (FPY), first days to attain peak yield (DPY) and first dry period (FDP). Season of calving had highly significant influence on FSP, FCI and FDP, significant effect on AFC, AAP, 305MY, FLL and FPY and non-significant effect on DPY. Age at first calving had non-significant effect on all the studied traits.

Author(s):  
Ranjeet Verma ◽  
Inderjeet Singh ◽  
Ashok K. Balhara ◽  
Varij Nayan ◽  
Rakesh Kumar Sharma ◽  
...  

The dairy economics is greatly affected by the age at first calving as it is an important indicator of precocity and fertility. The present study was carried out to deduce the important productive and reproductive performance traits related to their extremes age at first calving in Murrah buffaloes. Recorded the data of reproductive and productive performances trait of Murrah buffaloes maintained at the animal farm section, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period of last fifteen year (2001-15). The data of 2753 buffaloes were screened out, on the basis of age at first calving (AFC) categorized into two extreme group. Only 88 out of 2753 buffaloes showed the extremes AFC and categorized as group 1 (n=17 in first parity, 12 in second parity) and group 2 (n=71 in first parity, 36 in second parity) having £36 and ³48 months of AFC respectively. The extreme AFC with their performance traits viz. service period, calving interval, dry period, lactation length and milk yields were included in the analysis. The mean service period, calving interval, dry period was lower in group 1 whereas lactation length and milk yields no differences in between groups. The low milk production was observed in first lactation irrespective to their groups. The extreme AFC was not significantly associated with their performance traits (service period, calving interval, dry period, lactation length and milk yields) in both within and between groups (p >0.05) whereas service period significantly associated with calving intervals (p less than 0.01).


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
GURPREET KOUR ◽  

Data from 1991 to 2017, pertaining to early performance traits was collected from 659 Murrah buffaloes, sired by 188 bulls, maintained at Directorate of Livestock Farms, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab. Least squares means and effect on non-genetic factors were evaluated for economic traits. Moderate heritability estimates of 0.217 ± 0.00, 0.231 ± 0.00, 0.260 ± 0.046 were calculated for first calving interval (FCI), First 305 day milk yield (F305MY) and first peak yield (FPY) respectively and low heritability values of 0.015± 0.025 and 0.043 ± 0.03 were estimated for age at first calving (AFC) and first lactation length (FLL) respectively. The phenotypic and genetic correlation of AFC was found to be positive with FLL and FCI and negative with F305MY and FPY. Although the production efficiency traits like F305MY, FLL and FPY had high positive genetic and phenotypic correlation among themselves.


Author(s):  
A. K. Thiruvenkadan ◽  
S. Panneerselvam ◽  
N. Murali

Data on ages at first mating and first calving of Murrah buffaloes to identify the effect of various non-genetic factors on these traits. Period and season were the fixed environmental effects considered for both the traits studied. The overall least-squares means for ages at first mating and calving were 1222.3 ± 11.0 and 1578.7 ± 20.3 days respectively. Period had highly significant (Pe at first calving with peak yield, days to attain peak yield, 305-day milk yield, lactation length, lactation milk yield, milk yield per day of lactation, service period, calving interval, dry period and number of services per conception were -0.214 ± 0.32, 0.013 ± 0.31, 0.089 ± 0.33, 0.584 ± 0.47, 0.166 ± 0.35, -0.177 ± 0.30, 0.576 ± 0.53, 0.563 ± 0.55, 0.276 ± 0.49 and 0.944 ± 0.83 respectively. The study revealed that the ages at first mating and calving observed in Murrah buffaloes at coastal region of Tamil Nadu is comparable to those reported in its breeding tract and elsewhere in India. A negative genetic correlation between age at first calving and milk yield per day of lactation indicated that the selection based on milk yield per day of lactation would lead to reduction in age at first calving with consequent increase of milk yield per day of lactation in future generations.


Author(s):  
Gurpreet Kour ◽  
Raman Narang ◽  
Neeraj Kashyap ◽  
Simarjeet Kaur ◽  
Simrinder Singh Sodhi

Background: Notable advancements in the selection indices have led to the development of exceptional breeding strategies, which have eventually led to the selection of elite dairy animals. The comparison of trends is facilitated by their estimation which permit the assessment of progress in a particular trait. The purpose of this study was to investigate genetic trends in economic traits of Murrah buffaloes, which is predominantly present as a high milk producer using the regression method. The study was designed to estimate the phenotypic, genetic and environmental trends, which represent the changes accrued over time and hence, determines the efficiency of breeding programme. Methods: The present study was conducted on 659 Murrah buffaloes, sired by 188 bulls, over a period of 27 years (1991-2017). The economic traits studied were first lactation milk yield (FLMY), first lactation length (FLL), age at first calving (AFC), first calving interval (FCI), first service period (FSP) and first dry period (FDP). The phenotypic trends were obtained as regression of population performance on year and the genetic trends were obtained by Smith method I and II. Result: The results revealed that the phenotypic trends obtained were significant and desirable for all the traits except for first lactation length, which was non-significant. The standard errors obtained by Smith method-I were higher than those obtained from method-II. As the Smith method-II avoids year to year fluctuations in the environment and those of contemporaries, it gives more realistic estimate as compared to the first method with lower standard error.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Shafiqul Islam ◽  
Safeer Alam ◽  
Gurjeet Kaur ◽  
Amulya Gogai

The Assamese buffaloes are being reared by the farmers/breeders for milk, meat and for draught purposes. These buffaloes are known for higher fat contents in their milk (8.5 percent on an average) and are famous in the market with a great demand and are known as “Khuti milk”. They are good source of livelihood for breeders and the graziers both in its breeding tract and have attracted researchers to consider the study of some important economic traits under field conditions. The present study was organized and considered the data on a total of 324 Assamese buffaloes distributed over three districts namely Kamrup, Nagaon and Darrang in Assam covering 35 khutis (open herds) during the year 2015-16   eighteen months. The lactation milk yield of Assamese buffalo was observed as 448.38±1.67 kg with a lactation length of 237.06±0.74 days and the peak yield and days to attain were measured as 3.41±0.02 kg and 54.16±0.19 days respectively. The reproduction traits like age at first calving, gestation period, service period and inter-calving period were considered for the study based on the breeders’ interview using pre-structured formats. The age at first calving was recorded as 52.28±0.81 months, the gestation period was observed as 323.10±0.68 days with an inter-calving period of 465.70±1.67 day. The service period and the dry period for these buffalo was 171.34±0.82 and 252.84±1.47 days respectively. The production and reproduction performance of Assamese buffaloes need special attention to be addressed for further improvements to help a large size of population of Assam, who are entirely depending for their livelihood on these valuable AnGR (buffaloes) of Assam.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Basdev Singh ◽  
Pushkraj Sawant ◽  
Dhruvaraj Sawant ◽  
Gautam Dutt ◽  
Sachin Todkar

The present study was undertaken on data of 150 Frieswal cows (a new strain of Sahiwal x Holstein Friesian) maintained at Military Dairy Farm, Agra, over a period of 15 years from 1996-2010, based on age at first calving. The overall means for age at first calving (AFC), weight at first calving (WFC), first lactation milk yield (FLMY), first lactation period (FLP), first dry period (FDP) and first calving interval (FCI) were 928.07±0.08 days, 369.87±0.92 kg, 4054.35±22.14 litres, 301.84±0.26 days, 99.40±0.15 days and 401.33±0.33 days respectively. The period of calving has significant influence on AFC and WFC, whereas non-significant influence on FLMY, FLP and FDP. The season showed significant influence on all the traits under study except FLMY. Both period and season has highly significant influence on FCI.


Author(s):  
Nawal Kishor Pareek ◽  
K. J. Ankuya ◽  
M. P. Patel ◽  
B. S. Rathod ◽  
K. B. Prajapati

The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of non-genetic factors, viz., service period (SP), dry period (DP) and gestation period (GP) on various milk production traits in Kankrej cattle. 1235 lactation records (2nd-7th) of 475 Kankrej cows, progeny of 75 bulls that were maintained at University Livestock Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar (Gujarat), calved during 1980-2014, were studied. The effects of service period (111.64 ± 52.55 days) and dry period (143.17±28.78 days) on total lactation milk yield (2089.45±582.38 kg),305 days milk yield (2045.66±531.92 kg) and lactation length (282.90±49.46 days) were highly significant (pis less than 0.01), while the effect of gestation period (288.86±7.14 days) was non-significant on all these production traits. Cows which took more time to conceive after parturition produced more milk with longer lactation length


Author(s):  
M. Srinivasa Reddy ◽  
V. Jagadeeswary ◽  
J. Sai Prasanna

Background: Environmental factors play a major role and influence the economically important traits in dairy animals. The present investigation was undertaken to study the influence of season on production and reproduction traits of graded Murrah buffaloes reared under farm conditions. Methods: The data pertaining to 164 graded Murrah buffaloes was utilized to study influence of seasons on various climatic factors like maximum, minimum and mean temperature, relative humidity (morning and evening), rainfall, sunshine, wind speed, evaporation and production and reproduction traits like lactation length, lactation yield, days to attain peak yield, persistency, calving interval, birth weight and number of lactations. Result: The present investigation revealed significant effect of season on all the meteorological parameters, production and reproduction parameters studied. The correlations among meteorological parameters and production and reproduction traits were also significant.


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 445-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M.-A. Musa ◽  
M.-K. A. Ahmed ◽  
K. J. Peters ◽  
B. Zumbach ◽  
K. E. A. Gubartalla

Abstract. Data from the Butana herd of Atbara Livestock Research Station were analyzed for the period 1949–1999. The least squares means for age at first calving, calving interval, milk yield per lactation, daily milk yield, lactation length and dry period were 45.05 ± 3.56 months, 382.38 ± 8.30 days, 1662.57 ± 108.96 kg, 6.10 ± 0.40 kg, 268.17 ± 5.56 days and 119.10 ± 8.30 days, respectively. The analysis of variance revealed that the sire and parity number influenced the studied traits, while year-season of calving influenced the milk yield per lactation, daily milk yield and lactation length. Linear and quadratic regressions on lactation length significantly influenced milk yield per lactation and daily milk yield. Heritability estimates for age at first calving, calving interval, milk yield per lactation, daily milk yield, lactation length and dry period were 0.19 ± 0.07, 0.09 ± 0.03, 0.26 ± 0.06, 0.27 ± 0.07, 0.04 ± 0.02, and 0.09 ± 0.03, respectively. This study highlighted the importance of conserving the indigenous dairy cattle breeds for future generations. The presence of significant variation and the corresponding heritability estimates give promise of reasonable genetic improvement under selective breeding with respect to milk yield characters.


Author(s):  
Sadikshya Lamsal ◽  
Deepak Subedi ◽  
Krishna Kaphle

Buffalo rearing is major part of Nepalese agriculture and they are reared for milk, meat, draft power and manure. Buffaloes are the main source of milk production in Nepal producing about 65.3% of the total annual milk in the country. Different indigenous breeds such as Lime, Parkote and Gaddi as well as Indian Murrah and Nili Ravi are recorded in Nepal and they are raised in different management and production system. Different genetic and non-genetic factors cause variation in production and reproduction performance between these breeds and within these breeds also. Non genetic factors affecting the performance of these buffaloes are season of calving, parity, management practices, nutrition etc. In this paper, effect of parity on production traits such as colostrum period, lactation length, lactation yield and days to reach peak milk yield as well as reproduction traits such as calving interval, dry period and service period are reviewed. Thus, this paper after reviewing related articles from various journals, proceedings and magazines is aimed to evaluate the effect of parity on reproductive and production efficiency of buffaloes of Nepal. Though the performance of indigenous breed is generally considered low, there is high potential of these breeds under proper breeding and management programs. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(1): 1-6.


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