• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1196-1200
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• 2000

First lactation records of 683 Murrah buffaloes maintained at National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, were used for comparing the sire evaluation for age at first calving, first lactation 305-day or less milk yield and first service period. The sires were evaluated using Simple daughters average, Contemporary comparison, Least-squares and BLUP methods. The BLUP evaluations were obtained under single-, two- and three-trait individual animal models. The results revealed that for taking a decision regarding the method of sire evaluation to be used for selecting sires with high breeding values, criteria of the rank correlation could be misleading and comparison of the selected sires is likely to give a veritable picture. The Best Linear Unbiased Prediction method under multi-trait animal model incorporating first lactation milk yield with first service period as a covariable and age at first calving in the model was found to be more efficient and accurate for sire selection in Murrah buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.577-580
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• 1993

Six lactating crossbred cows and six Murrah buffaloes, maintained under similar conditions of feeding and management were studied for body composition by the antipyrine dilution technique. Measurements were made at the start of the experiment when the animals had completed about 50 days in lactation and thereafter at monthly intervals up to 90 days of the experimental period. The percent body water estimates in both species at different time intervals did not change significantly. Percent body fat and protein content also remained unchanged. The correlation coefficient between body composition parameters and various hormones (growth hormone, insulin, $T_3$ and $T_4$) were generally low and non-significant. It was concluded that body composition studies using body water are not sufficiently sensitive to predict changes in body composition of lactating cows and buffaloes and/or the changes in body composition during lactation are not very drastic.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1133-1136
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• 2000

Wheat straw was treated with 4 per cent urea at a moisture level of 50 per cent alongwith different levels of boric acid viz. 1, 2, 3 and 4 per cent, under laboratory conditions to know the impact of boric acid on ammonia-N fixation in the straw. Murrah buffaloes were used for determining the disappearance of dry matter, CP and fibre constituents by nylon bag technique. Ammoniation increased CP content of wheat straw, which increased further due to addition of boric acid. Low level of boric acid (1%) had no adverse effect on fibre constituents disappearance but at higher levels there was a depressioon in the disappearance of fibre coonstituents. It can be concluded that low level of boric acid was sufficient to trap the excess ammonia released during urea ammoniation of wheat straw without affecting other constituents and their disappearance in the rumen of buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1732-1737
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• 2003

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding transgenic cottonseed (Bt.) vis-a-vis non-transgenic (non-Bt.) cottonseed on blood biochemical constituents in lactating Murrah buffaloes. Twenty Murrah buffaloes in mid-lactation were divided into 2 groups of 10 each. Animals of group I were fed with 39.5% non-transgenic cottonseed in concentrate mixture while the same percentage of transgenic (Bt.) cottonseed was included in the concentrate mixture fed to the animals of group II. Animals of both groups were fed with concentrate mixture to support their milk production requirements. Each buffalo was also offered 20 kg mixed green fodder (oats and berseem) and wheat straw ad libitum. The experimental feeding trial lasted for 35 days. There was no significant difference in the dry matter intake between the two groups of buffaloes. All the buffaloes gained body weight, however, the differences were non significant. Total erythrocyte count, hemoglobin content and packed cell volume were $9.27{\pm}0.70${\times}10^6/{\mu}l$, $13.01{\pm}0.60gdl$ and $34.87{\pm}1.47%$, respectively in group I with the corresponding figures of $8.88{\pm}0.33$, $12.99{\pm}0.52$ and $31.08{\pm}1.52$ in group II. The values of total erythrocyte count, haemoglobin content and packed cell volume did not differ significantly between the two groups of buffaloes. The concentration of plasma glucose, serum total proteins, albumin, globulin, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein were non significantly higher in buffaloes fed non-transgenic cottonseed than in buffaloes fed transgenic cottonseed. The cholesterol concentration was significantly (p<0.01) higher in buffaloes of group I ($136.84{\pm}8.40mg/dl$) than in buffaloes of group II ($105.20{\pm}1.85mg/dl$). The serum alkaline phosphotase, glutamic-oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamic-pyruate transaminase activities did not differ significantly between two groups of buffaloes. However, serum glutamic-pyruate transaminase activity was considerably high in buffaloes fed nontransgenic cottonseed as compared to buffaloes fed transgenic cottonseed. Bt. proteins in serum samples of animals of group II were not detected after 35 days of feeding trial. It was concluded that transgenic cottonseed and non-transgenic cottonseed have similar nutritional value without any adverse effects on health status of buffaloes as assessed from haematobiochemical constituents.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.261-264
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• 1994

The lactation milk yields of 209 buffaloes and cattle were measured on farms in Taplejung and Dhankuta Districts in East Nepal. This includes local and crossbred buffaloes and cows. The average milk yield (${\pm}\;SD$) of 97 local buffaloes was $833\;{\pm}\;94.6\;kg$ whereas that for 83 local cows was only $455\;{\pm}\;61.5\;kg$. The milk yield of buffaloes decreased with number of calvings, but that for the cows increased. The milk yields of 18 Murrah crossbreds were on average 215 kg higher than the yields of local buffaloes, and the yields of 11 Jersey crossbred cows averaged 247 kg more than the local cows. Lactation length (${\pm}\;SD$) which averaged $326\;{\pm}\;100$ days for the buffaloes and $292\;{\pm}\;98$ days for the cows, was not affected by crossbreeding. The milk yields of the crossbreds were more variable than the local buffaloes and cows. In addition to milk yield the overall productivity of a milking animal depends on calf mortality, age at first calving, calving interval, longevity, food intake, the work performance of male cattle and the meat production of male buffaloes. Among these parameters, the work performance of Jersey crossbred and local male cattle was studied later. However, other factors could not be measured.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.943-950
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• 2015

Heat stress has adverse effects on fertility of dairy animals. Decline in fertility is linearly associated with an increase in combination of both temperature and humidity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between temperature humidity index (THI) and the pregnancy rate of Murrah buffaloes in a subtropical climate. The effects of genetic and non-genetic factors viz., sire, parity, period of calving and age group at first calving were found non-significant on pregnancy rate. The effect of THI was found significant (p<0.001) on pregnancy rate of Murrah buffaloes calved for first time and overall pregnancy rate. The threshold THI affecting the pregnancy rate was identified as THI 75. The months from October to March showed THI<75 and considered as non heat stress zone (NHSZ), while months from April to September were determined as heat stress zone (HSZ) with $THI{\geq}75$. The lowest overall pregnancy rate (0.25) was obtained in July with THI 80.9, while the highest overall pregnancy rate (0.59) was found in November with THI 66.1. May and June were identified as critical heat stress zone (CHSZ) within the HSZ with maximum decline (-7%) in pregnancy rate with per unit increase in THI. The highest overall pregnancy rate was estimated as 0.45 in NHSZ with THI value 56.7 to 73.2. The pregnancy rate was found to have declined to 0.28 in HSZ with THI 73.5 to 83.7. However, the lowest pregnancy rate was estimated as 0.27 in CHSZ with THI value 80.3 to 81.6.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2004

Data pertaining to first lactation records of 316 Murrah buffaloes, progeny of 47 sires, maintained at NDRI Farm for a period of 18 years were analysed to construct selection indices and to examine their robustness by changing the relative economic values of different economic traits. A total of 120 selection indices were constructed for three sets of relative economic values ( 40 for each set) considering different combinations of seven first lactation traits viz. age at first calving (AFC), first lactation 305 day or less milk yield (FLMY), first lactation length (FLL), first calving interval (FCI), milk yield per day of first lactation length (MY/FLL), milk yield per day of first calving interval (MY/FCI) and milk yield per day age at second calving (MY/ASC). The three sets of relative economic values were based on economic values of different traits, 1% standard deviation of different traits and regression of different traits on FLMY. The 'optimum' indices for the first two sets had five traits each namely AFC, FLMY, FLL, FCI and MY/ASC giving improvement in aggregate genotype of Rupees 269.11 and Rs. 174.88, respectively. The accuracy of selection from both indices was 70.79 and 69.39%, respectively. The 'best' selection index from the third set of data again had five traits (AFC, FLMY, FLL, FCI and MY/FLL) giving genetic gain of Rs. 124.16 and accuracy of selection of 71.81%. The critcal levels or break-even points for FLMY for varying levels of AFC and FCI estimated from the "optimum index" suggested the need of enhancement of present production level of the herd or reduction of AFC or FCI. It was concluded that economic values of various first lactation traits were the most appropriate to construct selection indices as compared to other criteria of assigning relative economic weights in Murrah buffaloes.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1151-1161
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to estimate the association of age at first calving (AFC) with first lactation traits as well as lifetime performance traits in Murrah buffaloes. Methods: Data on first lactation and life time performance of Murrah buffaloes (n = 679), maintained at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period 1983 through 2017, were deduced to calculate heritability estimates, genetic and phenotypic correlation of different first lactation and lifetime traits. The univariate animal model was fitted to estimate variance components and heritability separately for each trait, while bivariate animal models were set to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits under study. Results: The heritability was high for first peak milk yield (FPY, 0.64±0.08), moderate for AFC (0.48±0.07) and breeding efficiency (BE 0.39±0.09). High genetic correlations of first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY) with first lactation standard milk yield (FLSMY, 305 days or less), FPY, and first lactation length (FLL) was seen. Likewise, genetic correlation of AFC was positive with FLTMY, FLL, first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI), herd life (HL) and productive days (PD). Significant phenotypic correlation of FLTMY was observed with HL, productive life (PL), PD, total lifetime milk yield (LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY). Moreover, positive genetic and phenotypic correlation of FPY was observed with HL, PL, PD, total LTMY and standard LTMY. Conclusion: This study reports that AFC had positive genetic correlation with FDP, FSP, FCI, and unproductive days while, negative association of AFC was observed with FLSMY, PL, total LTMY, standard LTMY, and BE. This suggests that reduction of AFC would results in improvement of lifetime performance traits.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.774-780
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• 2009

The objectives of this study were to test the efficacy of induction of estrus and determine the timing of ovulation in relation to preovulatory LH and estrogen surges in cycling Murrah buffaloes subjected to Heatsynch protocol (GnRH-$PGF_2{\alpha}$-Estradiol benzoate). In experiment 1, the buffaloes (n = 10) were treated with Heatsynch protocol and observed for estrus and ovulation. In experiment 2 and 3, 30 cycling Murrah buffaloes were used to investigate the efficacy of Heatsynch protocol in terms of conception rates in summer (experiment 2) and winter (experiment 3) seasons. Fixed time A.I. was performed in all the buffaloes at 48 and 60 h post-estradiol benzoate (EB) injection. All buffaloes responded to the Heatsynch protocol with expression of estrus for which ovulations were induced in 8 buffaloes (80%). Mean time interval from the EB injection to ovulation was 50.0${\pm}$2.0 h (range 44.0 to 60.0 h). The interval from the end of LH surge to ovulation was 18.5${\pm}$2.47 h (range 8 to 26 h). The interval from end of estrogen surge to ovulation was 26.75 ${\pm}$2.07 h (range 22 to 36 h). Mean LH peak after EB injection occurred at 20.81${\pm}$1.61 h (range 14 to 28 h) and mean estrogen peak after EB injection occurred at 9.62${\pm}$1.03 h (range 7 to 16 h). Hence, the mean estrogen peak preceded the mean LH peak by 11 h. It was observed that the percentage of conceptions to total number of estruses for control buffaloes was 18 and 30 in summer and winter, respectively, whereas it increased to 26 and 40 in Heatsynch treated buffaloes in respective seasons. The results suggest the possibility of using Heatsynch treatment followed by fixed time A.I. in buffaloes for fertility improvement, especially since the incidence of silent heat in buffaloes is very high.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.575-579
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• 2000

First lactation records of 683 Murrah buffaloes maintained at NDRI, Karnal which were progeny of 84 sires used for comparing the heritability estimates of age at first calving, first lactation milk yield and first service period under single and multiple trait models using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method of estimation under an individual animal model. The results indicated that the heritability estimates may vary under single and multiple trait models depending upon the magnitude of genetic and environmental correlation among the traits being considered. Therefore, a single or multiple trait model is recommended for estimation of variance components depending upon the goal of breeding programme. However, there may not be any advantage of considering a trait with zero or near zero heritability and having no or very low genetic correlation with other traits in the model. Lower heritability estimates of part lactation yield (120-day milk yield) implied that there may not be any advantage of considering this trait in place of actual 305-day milk yield, whereas, comparable heritability estimates of predicted 305-day milk yield suggested that it could be used for sire evaluation to reduce the cost of milk recording under field conditions.