Seventeen male buffalo calves of similar age and body weight were distributed in three groups. There were five animals in group 1 and six each in groups 2 and 3. The calves were supplied three concentrate mixtures, prepared from locally available ration ingredients, along with wheat bhoosa ad libitum and a small quantity of green fodder so as to provide 100, 80 and 60 percent DCP and 106 percent DE (NRC, 1976) in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The actual levels of DCP consumed by the animals, however, worked out to 107.5 +- 0.50, 87.00+-1.63 and 66.00+-2.00 percent of the level recommended by the NRC (1976) in groups 1,2 and 3 respectively. Experimental feeding of animals lasted for a period of about four months and towards the end, when animals had attained an average age of about 24 months, a metabolism trial was conducted. There was no significant difference in the dry matter intake and digestibility of various organic nutrients except crude protein and crude fibre (P0.05). Animals in all the groups showed a high positive retention of nitrogen. The average growth rate recorded in groups 1,2 and 3 was 568.81+-18.37, 489.30+-65.01 and 507.65+-5.79 g per day respectively. Daily growth rate and carcass characteristics did not differ significantly between different groups.

2x2x2 factorial design with the factors of breeds; Murrah x swamp crossbreds and swamp buffaloes, non and feed supplementation, and work and non-work, was used in this study. Sixteen Murrah x swamp crossbreds and 16 swamp buffaloes were randomly allotted into 8 treatment combinations. The study period was 6 nonths; however, the animals in the working groups only started plowing at the beginning of week 5 and finished at the end of the experimental period. It was found that the average daily gain of Murrah x swamp crossbreds was not significantly different from that of swamp buffaloes. With out regard to other factors, the feed supplemented group gained more weight than the non-feed supplemented (P0.01), while the working and non-working groups were not statistically different in growth rate. No interaction among factors was found. For plowing ability, the crossbreds, the non-supplemented and supplemented groups could plow an area of 0.23 rai (0.09 acre) per hour while swamp buffaloes, the non-supplemented and supplemented groups, could plow 0.24 rai (0.10 acre) and 0.30 rai, (0.12 acre) respectively (P0.01). For the speed of plowing, the crossbreds, the non-supplemented and supplemented groups, could travel 40.71 and 48.42 metres per minute, respectively (P0.05) while the swamp buffaloes, the non-supplemented and supplemented groups, could travel at a speed of 43.86 and 53.32 metres per minute, respectively (P0.05). Within the non-feed supplemented groups, crossbred and swamp buffaloes could plow the area of 0.23 rai (0.09 acre) and 0.24 rai (0.10 acre) per hour, respectively (P0.05). Within the feed supplemented groups, the crossbred and swamp buffalo could plow the area of 0.23 rai (0.09 acre) and 0.30 rai (0.12 acre) per hour, respectively (P0.01). As for the speed of plowing, the performance of all the groups was not significantly different, i.e. 40.71, 48.42, 43.86 and 53.32 m/min for crossbred non-supplemented, crossbred supplemented, swamp non-supplemented and swamp supplemented groups, respectively (P0.05). However, the supplemented groups could plow faster than the non-supplemented ones (P0.05).

The swamp buffalo is sometimes completely white, i.e., with white hair and pink skin. This condition is rarely reported in river buffalo. This is not true albinism since the pigment is still present in iris, horns, hoofs and bucal mucosa. They are widely referred to as albinoid' (Kaleff, 1932). In the present study two cases of albinoid buffaloes of the Paralakhemundi buffalo breed in India are reported (Fig.1). The occurrence of pink skin is not uncommon but occurrence of albinoids is very rare in the Paralakhemundi buffalo breed. The incidence of albinoids varies in different countries. Rifle (1962) reported 10 percent albinoid buffaloes in Thailand, Singletan and Santos (1964) showed less than 1 percent incidence in the Philippines, in Indonesia albinoidism is common in Bali and incidence may be up to 70 percent. (Fischer, 1958). Albinoids unknown in Egypt, Italy, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Infestation by leeches (Hirudinia sp.) was observed in Murrah buffaloes of Song Be, Vietnam, mostly during the humid-hot season. Percentage incidence of attachment was about 31.14, 22.75, 15.75, 10.78, 7.19, 5.39, 4.19 and 2.99 in the region of udder and teats, inguinal region, vulva and vagina, nasal cavity, lips and chin, base of the ears, naval region and neck and brisket, respectively. After blood sucking for different periods, mean body weight of leeches was 338.12, 291.85, 245.51, 204.17, 139.53, 118.82, 103.80 and 98.73 g in the corresponding order of attachments. The body weight of partly and fully fed leeches ranged from lowest 12 g detached from neck and brisket region to highest 517 g fallen after full feeding from the udder and teats.

Study was undertaken to examine lead contents in different feeds and drinking water offered to buffaloes as well as those of buffalo blood and milk during two different seasons (winter and summer) in the area of Dakahlia, Egypt. The study revealed that the feedstuffs and drinking water contained less than the tolerance lead level, although the lead contents of the samples obtained in winter were higher than those of summer. The levels of lead in the blood and milk of buffaloes were within the normal range. However, winter values were higher than summer values. The lead contents of blood of veal calves were lower than those of buffalo bulls

Total of nine swamp buffalo embryos at the stages of two-cell embryo, 16-cell embryo, compacted morula, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst were frozen to -196 deg. Celsius by manual and automatic methods. The embryos were cooled slowly from room temperature to -7 deg. Celsius at the rate of 1.0 deg. Celsius/min from -7 deg. Celsius to -15 deg. Celsius or -30 deg. Celsius at the rate 0.3 deg. Celsius/min before plunging into liquid nitrogen. The post-thawed morphology showed undamaged embryos (grade A) could be obtained after both manual and automatic freezing, and also partially damaged (grade B) and totally damaged embryos (grade C). The percentage of each group was 22.2 % (2/9), and 55.6 % (5/9), respectively. This was the first report on cryopreservation of swamp buffalo embryos. Further studies on biabiliity after transfer should follow

Six Murrah bulls of N.D.R.I. progeny testing program set V were ranked on the basis of first lactation performance of their daughters. Bull No. 1039 ranked first while animal No.393 ranked second. The index value of the top-ranking bull was 15.3 % above the herd average and this bull was recommated in the herd for a period of two producing the future young sires

Study was undertaken to investigate the fertility of frozen semen from three Nili-Ravi buffalo bulls using three different extenders. Semen was extended in milk-yolk-glycerol, lactose-yolk-glycerol and fructose-lactose-yolk-glycerol, kept in 0.5 ml straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Only normal cyclic buffaloes were inseminated with the post-thaw semen. Fertility was based on pregnancy test through rectal palpation at 45 to 50 days post insemination. Milk-yolk-glycerol extender showed the best fertility result (49.82 percent) among all the extenders (45.68 percent for lactose-yolk-glycerol and 39.01 % for fructose-lactose-yolk-glycerol)

Study was carried out to find out the association between physical traits and production characteristics in 25 Surti buffaloes. Out of the six traits studied only height at withers (r=-0.446) and distance between pin-bones (r=+0.455) were found to be significantly related the milk yield but their regression coefficient was of little practical value. None of the other characters studied showed any association with milk yield or fat percent in Surti buffaloes.