The study examined changes in the body-weight of mature buffaloes at the Surin Buffalo Breeding Center due to seasonal fluctuation in feed supplies. It also investigated the effect of parturition on buffalo cow body-weight. The effect of feed scarcity started to show in January when the buffalo body-weight began to decline, and continued to decline to the lowest average in April, the hottest and dryest month of the year. The monthly weight change of the mature buffaloes could well be explained by the annual rainfall pattern. The data on monthly records of the body-weight of buffalo cows during the five months before calving and the four months after indicated that the animals gained 33.1 kg during the five-month pre-partum and lost 34.5 kg from one month after, with the average calf birth weigth of 30.8 kg. The nursing cows continued to lose weight during the four-month post-partum. The cows calved from May to October and regained their body-weight faster than those calved from November to April

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.

Dry matter requirement was estimated on 24 growing Indian buffalo calves fed concentrate and wheat straw to supply two levels (75 and 100 %) of protein and three levels (90, 100 and 110 %) of energy as per NRC (1976) for 500 g daily gain in a 2x3 factorial design. The dry matter intake (DMI) recorded at about 100 kg and 250 kg mean body weight was used for deriving multiple regression using DMI (Y) an independent variable and body weight or metabolic body weight (X1) and average daily gain (X2) as dependent variables. The prediction equations were: 1) Y= -0.9956+0.1036 X1 +0.0015 X2, 2. Y= -0.0489+0.02344 X1 +0.0015 X2, 3) Y= -4.9946+0.1315 X1 +0.002665 X2 and 4) Y= -1.782+0.019 X1 +0.00355 X2. There was positive correlation between DMI with body weight or metabolic body weight and ADG for all the 4 equations and R2 was 0.32; 0.32; 0.66 and 0.56 respectively. In spite of great differences in correlation coefficients, equations 2, 3 and 4 were found to be useful for predicting dry matter requirement from 100 to 400 kg body weight and from zero to 750 g ADG. However, equation 1 may be useful for 100 to 200 kg body weight

The incidence of twinning in Nili-Ravi buffaloes was observed in 1,340 calvings at the Livestock Experiment Station, Bakadurmagar district, Okara, during a period of 9 1/2 years. The twinning rate was found to be 0.298 % and the incidence of twin birth had no adverse effect on subsequent post-partum productive and reproductive performance. However, twinning in buffalo is undesirable due to reduction in female progeny