Behavioural signs of estrus in different parity of murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis): a comparative study

Abstract

In dairy bovines, estrus detection is the key determinant of the herd fertility. However, owing to silent heat in buffaloes, it is difficult to detect estrus at proper time which in turn affects the estrus detection efficiency and reduces conception rate. Further, it is not clear whether the buffaloes during different parities have differential expression of estrus behaviour. Therefore, the present study was designed to study the behavioural signs of estrus expressed by Murrah buffaloes (n= 94) belonging to different parities. Estrus detection was done by parading teaser bulls (4 times bull parading in a day), heat expectancy chart and visual observation of behavioural signs of estrus. The study revealed significantly (P< 0.05) higher bellowing/vocalization behaviour in primiparous (77.27%) and pluriparous buffaloes (72.88%) than heifers (38.46%). Micturition behaviour was significantly (P< 0.05) more pronounced in pluriparous (93.22%) and primiparous buffaloes (90.91%) as compared to heifers (69.23%). In pluriparous and primiparous buffaloes, tail raising behaviour during estrus was also expressed by higher(P< 0.05) proportion of buffaloes (96.61 and 90.91%, respectively) as compared to heifers (76.92%). However, there were no differences in tumefaction of vulval lips, reddening of vulval mucus membrane characteristics, standing to be mounted behaviour, chin resting and Flehmen reaction among pluriparous, primiparous and heifer buffalos. These results indicated that intensity of bellowing/vocalization, micturition and tail raising behaviours during estrus were poorly expressed in heifers and more focussed attention is needed to detect buffalo heifers in estrus.