This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of forage and balanced concentrate in diet or nutritional contents and nutrient digestibilities of feed, feed consumption, an average daily gain, and feed efficiency in buffaloes. This study used a completely randomized design with 4 replicates. The diet treatments were: (R1), 100 percent native grass, (R2), 70 percent native grass + 30 percent concentrate. (R3), 60 percent native grass + 40 percent concentrate (R4) 50 percent native grass + 50 percent concentrate. The experimental results showed that the amount of concentrates, significantly affected (P LT 0.05) the contents of dry matter, organic matter, and crude fiber. However, the crude protein, crude fats, digestibilityies of dry matter and organic matter of the contents were not significantly affected P LT 0.05). It could be concluded that the addition of concentrated ration to buffaloes provides better productivity than field grass, with the best treatment being the R2.

This study aimed to determine the lactoferrin concentration from healthy and subclinical mastitic buffaloes. Lactoferrin levels were determined in a total of 475 mammary quarter milk samples, 391 of which were healthy and 84 suffering from subclinical mastitis. The mean milk lactoferrin level in logarithmic form for healthy and subclinical mastitic milk samples was 1.34+-0.27 and 1.85+-0.47, respectively. A significant difference (p LT 0.001) was determined between the two groups in terms of the lactoferrin levels. The milk lactoferrin levels in healthy buffaloes were significantly higher in the middle and late periods of lactation than the peak period (p LT 0.05). The mean milk lactoferrin levels in subclinical mastitic buffaloes infected with S. aureus or S. agalactiae were significantly higher than those from in buffaloes infected with Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CNS) or Candida spp. (p LT 0.05). An increase in milk lactoferrin levels was observed in parallel with the increase in somatic cell scores. In conclusion, milk lactoferrin levels in buffaloes were found to increase with the lactation stage, the presence of bacterial infection and the somatic cell count. This is the first study to determine the relationship between lactoferrin concentrations and bacterial infection in milk obtained from mammary quarters with subclinical mastitis in Anatolian buffaloes.

The study reports the physicochemical content of raw and pasteurization milk from Bhadawari, Mehsana and Nagpuri Indian buffalo breeds. The study demonstrated the protein, fat, lactose, total solid content, and percentage of casein of the raw milk for Nagpuri, Mehsana and Bhadawari as 4.5+-0.51, 5.4+-0.62, 4.8+-0.41, 7.2+-0.32, 6.1+-0.66, 7.0+-0.84, 5.4+-0.65, 6.2+-0.65, 5.1+-0.54, 17.2+-1.21, 18.8+-1.54, 18.1+-1.22, 10.8+-1.20, 11.4+-1.02 and 11.5+-0.98 respectively. The study further extended to determine the growth profile of Lactobacillus plantarum (LAB) isolated from sheep milk, in the milk of different buffalo Indian breeds. The isolate was identified as a LAB by 16S rRNA sequencing technique. These LAB thrived in the different milk were characterized by colony forming unit (CFU). The study finally revealed that CFU count was found significantly higher (P LT 0.05) in Mehsana milk as comparative to other milk treated samples of Nagpuri and Bhadawari buffalos.

The aim of present study was to evaluate efficacy of Modified Co-Synch Plus Protocol with or without progesterone device for estrus induction, progesterone concentration and conception rate in Murrah buffaloes under field conditions during summer season. The study was conducted using 30 postpartum anestrus Murrah buffaloes divided in two groups. In Group 1 (n=15), the buffaloes were administered with PMSG 400 IU on -3 day, Buserelin acetate 10 micro g, on day 0, cloprostenol 500 micro g, on day 7, and on day 9 h CG 2000 IU. Thereafter, timed artificial insemination (TAI) was done at the time of h CG injection and 24 h later once again. In Group 2 (n=15), the buffaloes were treated with same protocol as Group 1, in addition to progesterone device, which was placed in vagina on day 0 and was removed on day 7 of the protocol. Thereafter, TAI was done as in Group 1. Plasma Progesterone concentration was estimated during the different days (-3, 0, 7, 9 and 10 day) of protocol. The estrus induction rate was 86.6 percent and 100 percent in Group 1 and Group 2 respectively showing very good estrus (46 percent), good estrus (30.7 percent) and poor estrus (23.07 percent) in Group 1 while very good estrus (46.6 percent), good estrus (40 percent) and poor estrus (13.4 percent) in Group 2. The conception rates in Group 1 and 2, at FTAI and overall including subsequent estrus were 46.2 percent and 61.53 percent and 53.33 percent and 73.33 percent respectively. The plasma progesterone concentrations were higher (P LT 0.05) on day 7 in Group 2 than Group 1 (4.16+-0.32 vs 2.30+-0.24 ng/ml). Both two protocol treatment during non breeding season resulted in very good estrus induction and acceptable conception rate in anestrous buffaloes.

Present investigation was carried out on randomly selected 120 she buffaloes in dairy farms and local farmers of different places, villages of Surajpur, with the objective to study the prevalence of subclinical mastitis in she buffaloes at adjoining areas of Surajpur. The prevalence of the subclinical mastitis was studied by screening of she buffaloes correlated with age, breed, stage of lactation and quarter wise distribution. The overall prevalence rate was 68.33 percent. The rate of prevalence of SCM was the highest between the age group of 9 and 11 years (90.32 percent). Breed wise prevalence of SCM was found maximum in crossbred (72.30 percent) followed by indigenous (65.62 percent) and nondescript (47.23 percent) breed. The prevalence of SCM was found to be the highest in mid lactation (76.47 percent) followed by early (67.27 percent) and late (61.29 percent) lactation. Quarter wise study revealed that the left hind quarters (30.83 percent) were found to be the most prone for sub clinical infection followed by right fore (19.16 percent), left fore (10 percent) and the least affected was right hind quarter (8.33 percent).

The theme of investigation was the group of 1230 Murrah buffaloes at the dairy farm of GADVASU, Ludhiana. The research was conducted for the period of forty years 1971 to 2010, to make out the mortality prototype at this organized herd. An overall 1230 animals died because of various causes during these forty years, which accounted for overall mortality of 29.36 percent of total herd. Maximum mortality in different age groups of calves was due to affections of digestive system. Mortality up to one month of age was 52.35 percent indicating that almost half of the calves died during first month of age. The mortality rate declined to 11.95 percent up to three month of age in calves and mortality rate further declined to 5.44 percent up to six month of age. The mortality rate further declined to 4.88 percent of total mortality up to one year of age. The cumulative mortality up to one year of age was 74.62 percent, which indicated that two-third of the total mortality occurred up to one year of age. Out of all the lactations maximum mortality is found in first lactation and minimum mortality is observed in 10th and above lactation. Higher incidence of mortality was found to be in the month of August 13.5 percent while lowest mortality percentage is found in the month of October i.e. 3.52.

The present study was conducted on 10 buffalo foetii ranging from 13.5 cm CVRL to 98 cm CVRL (89 to 295 days). After collection the tissue samples were processed for transmission electron microscopy. The efferent ductules of buffalo foetii were lined with simple columnar epithelium with ciliated and non-ciliated cells. The ciliated cells were few in number in comparison to the non-ciliated cells. The ciliated cells were characterized by presence of cilia on apical surface with typical 9+2 arrangement and their basal bodies just beneath the apical plasma lemma. Whereas the non-ciliated cells were devoid of cilia. The supra-nuclear cytoplasm of non-ciliated cells contained many coated vesicles. In the later stage of development some migratory intraepithelial and peritubular leukocytes were also observed. The tight junctions found to be poorly developed in the epithelial lining of efferent ductules at 13.5 cm CVRL (89 days) and were well developed at 19.5 cm CVRL (116 days) onwards. In early stage of development efferent ductules were surrounded with the mesenchymal tissue which after condensation differentiated into smooth muscle cells in later stage of development.

The study evaluated the antibody response and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels in naive bovine calves from a Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV) potency test. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated from blood samples and total RNA was extracted. Two step quantitative (Real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used for measurement of IFN-gamma specific mRNA. Plasma samples were screened to detect anti-non structural proteins (NSP) antibodies for FMDV in 3AB NSP antibody enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma samples were found free for anti- NSP antibodies for FMDV in vaccinated bovine calves as evaluated in 3AB NSP antibody ELISA test. Increase in mRNA expression level of IFN-gamma after 15 days post vaccination (DPV) was found unequivocally in all five vaccinated calves (more than two-fold increase in 4 out of 5 calves). Liquid phase blocking ELISA (LPBE) test results also revealed highest humoral antibody response on 15 DPV. Monovalent FMDV vaccination elicited highest antibody titre on 15 DPV in correlation with elevated IFN-gamma mRNA level. Humoral and cellular immunity both play important role in protection against FMDV. The study will help in further understanding the role played by both the humoral and cellular immune response against FMDV.

Farming systems and socio-economic status of farmers rearing Diara buffaloes were studied by visiting 183 farmers' herds belonging to Diara breeding tract in Patna district of Bihar, India. Results indicated that the estimated population of Diara buffaloes in the breeding tract was 0.60 million out of 3.91 million in Bihar state. Reduction in forest area, cultivable waste land, permanent pastures and grazing land, and fallow land to the tune of 36.0 percent, 60.6 percent, 55.1 percent and 44.4 percent poses a major challenge to the simple existence of Diara population. A total of 63.4 percent of the farmers in the breeding tract provided their buffaloes housing in terms of temporary sheds. The estimated age at first calving of Diara buffaloes was found to be 46.4+-2.56 months whereas the mean service period and dry period of these buffaloes in the breeding tract were observed to be 88.1+-5.25 and 127.18+-4.56 days, respectively. The inter-calving period in the habitat was found to range from 15 to 21 months. Interaction studies between different components of farming systems with Diara farmers showed that the distance between agriculture and buffalo rearing was the shortest with 15 units in the study area. Percentage contribution of Diara buffaloes to the overall income was highest with landless farmers (41.3 percent), followed by marginal (38.5 percent) and small farmers (33.8 percent). Regression analysis of different independent variables disclosed that investment on bullocks had highly significant (P LT 0.01) effect on the income of Diara farmers. Improving the role of Diara buffaloes from sustaining the farmers to prospering the farmers has been discussed.

The aim of the present study was to compare plasma mineral status of anoestrus and normally cyclic cattle and buffaloes of central zone of Punjab and to evaluate the use of area specific mineral mixture as a treatment of anoestrus in dairy animals. Thirty two non-cyclic animals (16 cattle, 16 buffaloes) and 32 cyclic animals (16 cattle, 16 buffaloes) in the 2nd to 3rd lactation were selected for the study on basis of rectal examination and plasma progesterone levels at 0, 7 and 14 days by Radio Immuno Assay (RIA) technique. Blood samples from these animals were analyzed for various minerals viz., Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn. Anoestrus dairy animals had significantly lower levels of calcium, phosphorus and copper as compared to cyclic animals. For therapeutic trial, anoestrus animals (10 cattle and 10 buffaloes) kept as treatment group were fed area specific mineral mixture (50 gm/animal/day) for 2 months. In total, 17 animals out of 20 (85 percent) regained cyclicity i.e. had at least one value of plasma progesterone level above 0.5 ng/ml out of 3 weekly samples collected. Average time taken for animals to come into heat after area specific mineral mixture supplementation was found to be 53.4+-2.7 and 48.9+-2.1 days in buffaloes and cattle, respectively.