72 Journal of Buffalo Science, 2013, 2, 72-77 Production and Reproductive Performance of Bhadawari Buffaloes in Uttar Pradesh, India B.P. Kushwaha*, Sultan Singh, N. Das, S.B. Maity, K.K. Singh and J. Jayasankar Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284 003, Uttar Pradesh, India Abstract: Bhadawari is one of the recognized buffalo breeds of India and is famous for high fat content in their milk. Data on production and reproductive traits were collected under Network Project on Bhadawari buffaloes, at Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The overall least squares means (±SE) for peak yield, days to attain peak yield, lactation milk yield, lactation length, 305 days milk yield, milk yield per day of lactation, service period, calving interval and dry period were 6.96±0.10 kg, 52.8±4.1 days, 1250.5±24.6 kg, 291.4±4.9 days, 1213.5±21.6 kg, 4.30±0.06 kg, 172.4±7.7 days, 522.1±12.1 days and 241.80±11.3 days, respectively. Period of calving had a significant (p<0.05) to highly significant (p<0.01) effect on all the traits studied except service period and dry period, where it was not significant. Season of calving had a significant (p<0.05) effect or lactation length and highly significant (p<0.01) effect on lactation milk yield, 305 days milk yield and all the reproductive traits under study. The lowest calving interval, service period and dry period were observed in rainy season calvers and they differed significantly (p<0.01) with winter and summer calvers. Parity had a significant effect (p<0.05) on lactation milk yield, 305 days milk yield and milk yield per day of lactation. Pair-wise comparison revealed that lactation milk yield was highest in the 2nd lactation followed by 3rd and 4th lactation. Large coefficient of variation observed for different traits under study indicates that there is enough scope for improvement in the production and reproduction traits. Better breeding management and selection for increased performance is needed for genetic improvement of these traits. Keywords: Bhadawari, buffaloes, production, reproduction, non-genetic factors. INTRODUCTION canals for irrigation, thereby increasing the agricultural production has seen large influx of high yielding Murrah India possesses the best buffalo breeds of the into the breeding tract of the Bhadawari. To increase world. There are 13 recognised breeds and several the milk production, indiscriminate crossbreeding with non-descript breeds in the country, which have regional Murrah buffaloes during the last 3 to 4 decades has importance and add to the economic value of the almost wiped out the Bhadawari buffaloes in its farming community (http://www.nbagr.res.in/regbuf. breeding tract. The population of Bhadawari buffaloes html). Bhadawari is one of the recognized buffalo in Uttar Pradesh was 1.139 lakhs during the year 1977 breeds of India and is famous for high fat content in and, it reduced to 0.982 lakhs in year 1991 [5]. A their milk. Bhadawari buffaloes are geographically similar trend was also reported by Kushwaha et al. [6], distributed in the ravines of Yamuna and Chambal who conducted the survey and reported an estimated rivers spread over in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya population of Bhadawari buffaloes around 40,000. Pradesh states of India. The main breeding tract is Looking into the urgency to conserve this gene pool, Agra and Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and Bhind and Indian Council of Agricultural Research has initiated Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The tract was a efforts on conservation and improvement of Bhadawari part of the erstwhile Bhadawar estate from where the buffaloes at Indian Grassland and Fodder Research name of this breed originated. Bhadawari, the brown Institute, Jhansi (IGFRI) under Network program on beauty of ravines and predominantly the only breed to buffaloes in the year 2001. have adapted to the harsh conditions of the ravines with undulating topography, thorny and scanty bushes, The performance reported in the literature [7] revealed that the milk production (657.9 to 1165 kg per climatic stress and draught conditions. They are also lactation) of Bhadawari buffaloes is comparatively poor known for eating less and producing more [1]. Calf than the other dairy breeds of buffaloes and the poor mortality is significantly lower than the other breeds of performance of the breed is considered to be the major buffaloes [2]. Male animals are good for agriculture cause of its population decline. In the present study an work especially for ploughing in rice fields [3]. The attempt has been made to evaluate the production and buffaloes are of medium size with medium milk yield reproductive performance of Bhadawari buffaloes and but the fat content in their milk may go as high as 13 to study the effect of non genetic factors on these traits. per cent [4]. With the pace of development bringing MATERIAL AND METHODS *Address correspondence to this author at the Network Project on Bhadawari Buffaloes, Indian Grassland & Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284 003, The study was based on data pertaining to Uttar Pradesh, India; Tel: +91-9450077724; Fax: +91-5102230666; E-mail: [email protected] Bhadawari buffaloes born and bred at Indian Grassland ISSN: 1927-5196 / E-ISSN: 1927-520X/13 © 2013 Lifescience Global Production and Reproductive Performance of Bhadawari Buffaloes Journal of Buffalo Science, 2013 Vol. 2, No. 2 73 and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi (UP), India. Yijkl= μ +pi+sj+ok+eijkl Jhansi is situated between 250.28’ N and 780 30’ E in the Bundelkhand region of India. The region is marked Where by extremes of temperature, reaching up to 480C Y is the lth observation pertaining to the trait under during the summer months and dropping as low as 1ºC ijkl focus in the ith period, jth season and kth parity, in winter [8]. During summer season, high temperature in the plains creates low-pressure areas that induce μ is over all mean movement of the monsoon. The temperature begins to th rise in February and peaks in May-June. Hot breezes pi effect of i period (i= 1 to 3) locally known as loo are common during this period. th sj effect of j season (i= 1 to 3), The rainfall distribution pattern is irregular. Approximately 90% of all rainfall in the region caused ok effect of kth parity (j= 1 to 6), by the monsoon, falling from June to October. Average e is random errors NID (0, s2 ) annual rainfall is 838.6 to 1251mm, most of which is ijkl e lost to runoff. July and August are the months of RESULTS maximum rainfall, while November and April are the driest months of the year [8]. Bhadawari buffaloes Production Traits purchased from the breeding tract during the year 2001-02 were housed in permanent sheds with open Least-squares means (±SE) of different production type ventilation and maintained under semi intensive traits are presented in Table 1. Period of calving had a feeding and management. Animals were fed dry highly significant (P<0.01) effect on variation of roughages (wheat straw, sorghum stover, dry grasses lactation milk yield, lactation length, 305 days milk yield etc) and green fodder (berseem, oat, sorghum, cow and milk per day of lactation and it had only significant pea etc). Concentrate mixture (cereal grains, bran, (P<0.05) effect on peak yield and days to attain peak cakes, mineral mixture and common salt) was provided yield. The highest lactation milk yield and 305 days milk to all age groups as per the standard requirements. yield were observed in period 2 (2005-2007) and they Cows were hand milked twice daily in the morning differed significantly from period 1. Lactation length and (4:30 to 5:30 am) and evening (4:30 to 5:30 pm). milk yield per day of lactation were highest in the period 2 and differed significantly from period 1 and 3. Data on production and reproductive performance were collected from the buffaloes maintained under Season of calving had no effect on peak yield, days Network Project on Bhadawari buffaloes for the period to attain peak yield and milk yield per day of lactation. of 2002 to 2010. The traits studied were peak yield, However, it had significant (P<0.05) effect on lactation days to attain peak yield, 305 or less days milk yield, length and a highly significant (P<0.01) effect on lactation milk yield and lactation length, milk yield per lactation milk yield and 305 days milk yield. The day of lactation, service period, calving interval and dry lactation milk yield and 305 days milk yield of buffaloes period. Period and season of calvings were the fixed that calved in the winter season was the highest and it environmental effects considered for all the traits differed significantly (P<0.01) with the rainy season studied. As the calvings were less in a year, year calvers. However, there was no significant difference, season analysis was not done. To utilize all available in the lactation milk yield and 305 day milk yield, data the entire duration was divided into three periods between winter and summer season. On the other each with an interval of 3 years assuming that there hand, the lowest lactation milk yield and 305 days milk would not be any major management changes within a yield were observed in cows calving in the rainy period. Each calendar year was sub divided into 3 season. Winter and summer calvers had higher seasons viz. winter (November to February), summer lactation milk yield and 305 days milk yield than the (March to June) and rainy (July to October).