• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.287-291
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• 2000

The study was based on 1921 service period records of Nili Ravi buffaloes maintained at six dairy farms in Pakistan during the period 1978 to 1994. The mean service period was $237.57{\pm}4.5$ days in the over all data. The highest mean service period ($393.59{\pm}16.18$ days) was at MDF Rawalpindi and the lowest ($199.15{\pm}14.35$ days) was at MDF Peshawar. The difference was significant p<0.001. Late maturing buffaloes showed significantly longer service period as compared to early maturing buffaloes. Parity and seasonal effects on Service Period were studied. There was an overall trend of reduction in the length of service period with the increase in parity. The mean ($287.54{\pm}6.89$ days) service period was (highest) in parity number one and lowest in parity number eight ($107.95{\pm}19.72$ days). The difference was highly significant. In overall data significantly lower service periods were seen in buffaloes calving in spring+winter as compared to summer+fall.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.375-382
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• 1992

The effect of certain factors such as sex of calf, status of buffalo, season of calving, parity and sire on lactation length and total lactation yield was studied in 391 Nili-Ravi buffaloes. The average lactation length was $301.73{\pm}1.87$ (mean $\pm$ SE) days with a range of 181 to 505 days whereas the average lactation yield was $2031.08{\pm}19.16kg$ and ranged from 1023 to 6535 kg for 984 lactations. The differences in the means of lactation length and lactation yield due to the sex of calf were significant (p<0.05). The status of buffaloes had a significant (p<0.05) effect on lactation length but its effect on lactation yield was non-significant. The season of calving had no effect on lactation length but it influenced the lactation yield significantly. The milk yield was highest ($2150.81{\pm}43.52kg$) in buffaloes which calved in spring and lowest ($1959.92{\pm}30.83kg$) in autumn. The effect of parity on both traits under study was significant (p<0.01). The maximum and minimum lactation lengths of $309.82{\pm}3.96$ and $284.16{\pm}7.17$ days were observed in the first and sixth lactations, respectively. The milk yield was maximum ($2150.38{\pm}58.79kg$) in the seventh lactation and minimum (1818.31 60.04 kg) in the sixth lactation. The influence of sire was significant on lactation length (p<0.05) and milk yield (p<0.01).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 1999

Production and reproduction data of 47 Nili-Ravi buffaloes (162 records) were analyzed with regression techniques. Average lactation milk yield was $2,020.04{\pm}44.59$ liters, lactation length $277.42{\pm}5.70$ d and calving interval $467.10{\pm}11.58$ d. The ranges for these parameters respectively were : 609-3591 lit, 122-614 d and 228-982 d. Year of calving and lactation length had significant effect on total milk yield (p < 0.01), whereas other factors such as month of calving, lactation number and calving interval had no effect on total lactation milk yield. Year of calving had influenced significantly other traits (p < .01) such as calving interval and lactations completed. This indicated considerable environment role in buffalo productivity. Effect of month of calving on total lactation milk yield and other traits was however, found to be non-significant. Nili-Ravi buffaloes produced maximum milk during their first three lactations as compared to subsequent lactations. Regression model explained 40 percent variation in total lactation milk yield due to factors analyzed : animal (dam), year and month of calving lactation length and calving interval.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.583-585
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• 1992

A study was undertaken to determine the incidence of short oestrus cycles and associated serum progesterone levels in Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Forty lactating buffaloes were kept under observation for oestrus activity for a period of sixty days. Blood samples from jugular vein from twenty buffaloes were used to determine associated serum progesterone levels during short oestrus cycles. Incidence of short oestrus cycles was 15.5 percent (Nine out of fifty eight oestrus cycles) and most of the short oestrus cycles occurred between first and second oestrus after calving. Lengths of short oestrus cycles ranged from 6 to 14 days. The most frequent length was 11 days. Serum progesterone levels were lower at oestrus and increased gradually attaining peak levels of 1.3 and 1.8 ng/ml on 7th day of 9 and 11 day short oestrus cycles. One buffalos exhibiting a short oestrus cycle of 12 days conceived which indicated that ovulation took place at the oestrus of short cycle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.229-232
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• 1997

Effects of short-term treatment with somidobove (recombinantly produced bovine somatotropin, BST) on estrous cyclicity and fertility were studied in dairy buffaloes. Twenty buffaloes of Nili-Ravi breed calving during the same season were assigned to either control (n=8) or treated group (n=12). The buffaloes of treated group received single infection (prolonged release) of 320 mg of somidobove on day-60 postpartum. The mean values for interval to first postpartum estrus, first service conception rate, services per conception, service period and calving interval for the treated group were 96.4 days, 66.7%, 1.70, 164 days and 473 days, respectively. The corresponding values for the control group were 92.5 days, 62.5%, 1.87, 135 days and 439 days. Means of all variables did not differ between control and treated group (p > 0.05). Three buffaloes of the control and four buffaloes of the treated group did not conceive at first service. Out of these, two buffaloes of control and one buffalo of treated group exhibited normal estrous cycles. It is concluded from these data that short term BST-treatment has no adverse effect on reproductive functions of dairy buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1858-1864
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• 2007

Influence of varying level of sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation on milk yield and its composition was examined in a randomized complete block design in early lactating Nili Ravi buffaloes during summer. Four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were formulated. The diet 0B contained 0 while LB, MB and HB diets contained 0.50, 1.0 and 1.50% SB levels, respectively. The diets were randomly allotted to twenty buffaloes, five in each group. A linear increase in nutrient and water intake was recorded with increasing SB level. Buffaloes fed MB and HB diets showed higher nitrogen balance than those fed 0B and LB diets. A significant increase in blood pH and serum bicarbonate was noticed with increasing SB level. Urine pH increased significantly with increased SB level. A linear increase in milk yield was also noticed with increasing SB level. Milk fat% increased significantly in buffaloes fed MB and HB diets compared with those fed 0B and LB diets. Buffaloes fed HB diet had higher conception rate and less services per conception than those fed 0B diet. This study indicated that a high SB diet not only increased dry matter and water intake, milk yield, milk fat% but also increased conception rate in early lactating buffaloes during summer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.505-509
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• 1997

Data were from four institutional herds and four field data collection centers involved in a progeny testing program for Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Pakistan. The REML with a single trait animal model, employed on 2,353 lactations, from 901 daughters of 66 sires, gave a heritability estimate of 0.18 for milk yield with repeatability (between lactations) of 0.43. Estimated milk yield was highest at 65 months of age for the first parity and 81 months for later parities. Correction factors for age at calving, standardized to 60 months in the second and later parities, were developed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1234-1239
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• 2006

Murrah and NiliRavi are the important North Indian buffalo breeds occupying the prominent position of being the highest milk producers. These breeds are more or less similar at morphological as well as physiological levels. The technique of RAPD-PCR was applied in the present study to identify a battery of suitable random primers to detect genetic polymorphism, elucidation of the genetic structure and rapid assessment of the differences in the genetic composition of these two breeds. A total of 50 random primers were screened in 24 animals each of Murrah and NiliRavi buffaloes to generate RAPD patterns. Of these, 26 (52%) primers amplified the buffalo genome generating 263 reproducible bands. The number of polymorphic bands for the 26 chosen RAPD primers varied from 3 (OPG 06 and B4) to 26 (OPJ 04) with an average of 10.1 bands per primer and size range of 0.2 to 3.2 kb. DNA was also pooled and analyzed to search for population specific markers. Two breed specific RAPD alleles were observed in each of Murrah (OPA02 and OPG16) and NiliRavi (OPG09) DNA pools. RAPD profiles revealed that 11 (4.2%) bands were common to all the 48 individuals of Murrah and NiliRavi buffaloes. Pair-wise band sharing calculated among the individual animals indicated considerable homogeneity of individuals within the breeds. Within breed, band sharing values were relatively greater than those of interbreed values. The low genetic distance (Nei's) value (0.109) estimated in this study is in accordance with the origin and geographical distribution of these breeds. The RAPD analysis indicated high level of genetic similarity between these two important North Indian buffalo breeds.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.1013-1023
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• 2022

Body condition score (BCS) at calving is a vital indicator of the effectiveness of the beginning of lactation in dairy animals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of BCS at calving on milk production and transition success in dairy buffaloes. Thirty-six (36) Nili Ravi buffaloes were enrolled at 40 days of expected calving and followed through 90 days of lactation. The buffaloes were categorized into three groups according to their BCS (on a scale of 1-5 with 0.25 increments) as follows: 1) low, buffaloes with BCS ≤ 3.0; 2) medium, buffaloes with BCS 3.25-3.5; and 3) high, buffaloes with BCS ≥ 3.75. All buffaloes were fed a similar diet ad libitum. The lactation diet had increased concentrate allowance according to milk yield. The results revealed that the BCS at calving did not affect milk yield; however, fat percentage (fat%) was lower in the low-BCS group. Dry matter intake (DMI) was similar among the treatment groups, although post-calving BCS loss was greater in the high-BCS group compared to the medium- and the low-BCS groups. Similarly, the buffaloes in the high-BCS group had higher non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentration compared to the low- and medium-BCS groups. No cases of metabolic disorders were observed during the study. The present results suggest that the buffaloes in the medium-BCS group appeared to perform better compared to the low- and the high-BCS groups with respect to milk fat% and blood NEFA concentration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.645-650
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• 2006

Thirty early lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes, six animals in each group, were used in a completely randomized design to examine the feeding value of 4% urea treated wheat straw (UTWS) ensiled with 6% or without acidified molasses. Five experimental diets were formulated. The control ration was balanced to contain 30% DM from UTWS ensiled without acidified molasses. The other four diets were formulated to have 30, 40, 50 and 60% DM from UTWS ensiled with 6% acidified molasses, respectively. Dry matter and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intakes were higher in buffaloes fed diets containing UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses compared with those fed a diet containing UTWS ensiled without acidified molasses. Intake of DM was not significantly different in buffaloes fed diets containing varying levels of UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses. A similar trend was observed for crude protein (CP) intake. Apparent DM and NDF digestibilities were significantly higher in buffaloes fed diets containing UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses compared with those fed UTWS ensiled without acidified molasses. However, differences in DM and NDF digestibilities were non-significant across buffaloes fed diets containing varying levels of UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses. Milk yield (4% fat corrected) was significantly higher in buffaloes fed diets containing UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses than those fed a diet containing UTWS ensiled without acidified molasses. Milk yield was similar in buffaloes fed varying level of UTWS ensiled with acidified molasses. Milk CP, true protein, solid-not-fat and total solids were similar in buffaloes fed UTWS ensiled with or without acidified molasses. The UTWS ensiled with 6% acidified molasses can be included at up to 60% DM of lactating buffalo rations without any ill effect on productivity.