Abstract:
The buffalo milk production contributed to 15.9% of the Sri Lankan fresh milk
production in 2019. The scarcity of updated information on buffalo production and
reproduction leads to problems in farm decision-making which results in reduced
productivity. The objective of the present study was to analyze some selected milk
production and reproduction parameters of a large-scale farm in North Western
Province of Sri Lanka. Farm records of semi-intensively managed, 132 crossbred
Murrah buffalos (ages ranged from 4.15 to 16.55 years) at Marandawila farm from
2007-2019 were used in the analysis. The following production and reproduction
parameters were calculated for the first five lactations: (i) The average milk yield
per buffalo per day (MYD; Liters) (ii) average milk yield per buffalo per lactation
(MYL; Liters) (iii) average lactation length (LL; days) iv) age at first calving (AFC;
months) (v) average calving intervals (ACI; days) (ⅵ) stillbirth (SBR) (vii) abortions
(ABR). The average values ± SEM obtained for the above parameters were: (i) 5.40
± 0.21, (ii) 1561.76 ± 60.33, (iii) 285.90 ± 8.07, (iv) 59.95 ± 0.79, (v) 462.34 ± 21.14
(ⅵ) 6.77% (vii) 2.26%. The MYD was higher (p < 0.05) in 4th lactation compared
with the rest of the lactations. The first LL and the first ACI were longer (p < 0.05)
than that of subsequent lactations. A weak negative correlation (r = -0.221; p < 0.05)
was observed between the birth weight (BW) and AFC of the same buffalo cow.
Among 532 births recorded, 91% were healthy calves. The average BW was not
statistically significant between male and female calves. In conclusion, the
productive and reproductive parameters were slightly substandard when the
optimum local production standards are considered. It can be speculated that the
adoption of proper husbandry practices including improved feeding management
may improve the tested production and reproduction parameters up to the
optimum level.
