Reproductive and productive performance of water buffaloes in central plateau of Brazil

Abstract

Data were collected from 1994 to 2006 at crossbred water buffaloes of Jafarabadi, Murrah and Mediterranean breeders, in Quirinópolis (18o33’S, 50o27’W and 470m of altitude), Goiás, Brazil. This buffalo herd was collectively maintained, with bovine, in pasture of 75% of Panicum maximum and 25% of Andropogon gayanus. The carrying capacity was of 1.2 AU/ha (about 540 kg LW/10,000 m2). The annual birth rate average was 89.4%, ranged between 75 and 100%. The calving distribution (n=104) from January to December was: 3.74, 3.08, 24.30, 34.58, 14.95, 5.61, 0.00, 1.87, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 and 1.87%. The breeding incidence occurs, more frequently, between April and June, showing a seasonal reproduction. The amount of calving incidence in the first semester of the year was 96.3% of the total. The age to the first calving (n=30) was of 1,114 ± 171 days. The postpartum interval, for an estimate gestation period of 315 days, was 94 ± 105 days. The average calving interval (n=76) was 409 ± 105 days. The average birth weight was 33.3 ± 2.6 kg; 33.5 ± 2.6 for males and 32.9 ± 2.6 kg for females, but no sex difference (p<0.05). The calves’ weight at weaning time was 232.4 ± 30.9 kg at 265 ± 37 days of age; 237.0 ± 30.5 kg and 265 ± 38 days for males and 227.3 ± 31.0 kg and 267 ± 35 days for females. The average daily weight gain from birth to weaning was 0.874 ± 0.162 kg; 0.905 ± 0.135 kg for males and 0.842 ± 0.182 kg for females, but no sex difference (p<0.05). The pre weaning mortality of calves and among adults was 2.9 and 3.8%, respectively. These results, except for the average weaning weight, which were better, agree with available data from Brazilian literature, although some concerning exists for calves up to 2.2 months older.