Study on the nutrition, management and heat synchronization in carabaos and cattle in a milk collection area of Jala-jala, Rizal [Philippines]

Cows and carabaos in Pagkalinawan, Jala-jala, Rizal included in the milk collection program of the Dairy Training and Research Institute [University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna (Philippines)] were used in this study. The milking animals were tethered primarily on cogonal pasture and supplemented with roughage from crop residues and weeds from the farm during the rainy season and supplemented with ipil-ipil leaves during the dry season. The kind of roughage supplement given was dependent on the cropping pattern in the area. The estimated digestible protein (DP) requirements were met by the roughage consumed by carabaos and cows. The estimated total digestible nutrients in dry season were not met in idle milking carabaos and cows. Estimated total digestible nutrient (TDN) requirements in milking carabaos doing hard work were not met during dry and wet seasons. The DP and TDN required to produce 1.4 kg milk (5.3% butterfat (BF) in cows were 0.1 and 0.5 kg, respectively in carabaos, 0.1 kg DP and 0.6 kg TDN were required to produce 1.1 kg milk (10.4% BF). The dams were milked when the calves were 3 weeds to 3 months of age, depending on the choice of the farmer. Before the start of milking, the calves were allowed to go with the dams all the time. At the start of milking, the calves were separated from dam for 12-23.5 hours before milking depending on their age. Generally, the older the calf, the less the number of hours it was allowed to stay with the dam after milking. The calves were used for milk-let-down, 1-2 times per milking. Most farmers (63%) had milking experience and milked their animals themselves. Most cows in the area were inseminated with Holstein frozen semen and were impregnated. Two Holstein bulls were loaned to the farmers by DTRI. Pests and diseases of milking animals were controlled by and animal health technician and a veterinarian who were assigned by DTRI to the area. They conducted periodic vaccination and veterinary visits. Only 15% of the farmers kept record of milk production and income from milk. The average milk production per lactation of cows, excluding milk consumed by the calf, was 259.4 plus or minus 25.4 liters in 238.8 plus or minus 19.5 days, that of carabaos, 125.4 plus or minus 29.7 liters in 190.8 plus or minus 24.1 days. The average milk production per day of cows was 1.4 plus or minus 0.0 liters and of carabaos, 1.1 plus or minus 0.1 liters. The average BF to TS, Sp, G and methylene blue reduction test (MBRT) of milk were 5.3 plus or minus 0.2%, 14.8 plus or minus 0.2%, 1.033 plus or minus 0.008 and 3.4 plus or minus 0.3 hrs, respectively, for cows and 10.4 plus or minus 0.2, 21.4 plus or minus 0.5%, 1.034 plus or minus 0.010 and 3.6 plus or minus 0.2 hrs, respectively for carabaos and 93.7 man-days for cows, amounting to P735.48 and P749.70, respectively. The profit in cows was P193.73 and P89.11 in carabaos. The average income from milk constituted about 12.3% of the average total income per family. Of the carabaos and cows fed with melengestrol acetate (MGA) to synchronize heat, 74.4% and 75.0%, respectively came in heat. The conception rate in MGA-heat synchronized animals was 66.7% in cows and 2.2% in carabaos. The female carabaos failed to conceive, probably because these animals failed to ovulate due to hormonal imbalance as an after effect of MGA treatment and/or external stress factors such as heavy work in the farm, high temperature, and low level of nutrition. Some practical recommendations were given to improve the management practices, especially the planting of ipil-ipil and forage grasses in a nearby area, forced feeding of ipil-ipil, and loaning a Murrah bull by DTRI to the farmers which will breed the native female carabaos