In order to evaluate and compare the properties of type traits in Khuzestani and Azeri river buffaloes, 148 and 336 Khuzestani and Azeri buffaloes were used, respectively. Animals were evaluated for traits such as Height at Withers, Body depth, Body length, Heart girth, Hip width, Pin width and Hip to Pin length. The averages for these traits in Khuzestani breed were 145.2+-6.63, 78.27+-5.43, 140.5+-10.05, 208.87+-13.75, 57+-4.44, 25.29+-3.03 and 44+-2.97 cm and in Azeri breed were 138.93+-6.39, 76.4+-5.61, 136.22+-10.05, 184+-13.66, 54.96+-4.85, 26.43+-3.94 and 43.8+-3.44 cm, respectively. The effect of breed on height at withers, heart girth and hip width was quite significant (P LT 0.001) and values for these traits in Khuzestani breed was higher than Azeri. The effect of parity number for all studied traits was significant (P LT 0.001), except for the heart girth. Heifers had the lowest values among different age groups and differences in this group increased with increasing age and parity. Also, the effects of province as a factor for climate and culture circumstances on studied traits was quite significant (P LT 0.001), except for the heart girth and hip to Pin length. Buffaloes in Guilan province had lowest and buffaloes in Khuzestan and Kermanshah provinces had the highest values.

Distribution pattern of phosphatases, oxidoreductases and non-specific esterases were studied in ovary of prepubertal, follicular phase, luteal phase and in pregnant animals. In the ovary of prepubertal buffaloes, distribution of phosphatases (AKPase and G-6-Pase) was negligible in the surface epithelium, tunica albuginea and stroma in the cortex region while it was weak during the follicular, luteal and pregnant animals. Its activity was strong in the primordial and primary follicles in all the phases of the reproduction. Strong to intense reaction was observed in the theca cells and granulosa cells. The luteal cells and blood vessels in corpus luteum of luteal phase showed moderate reactions while strong reaction was observed in the pregnant buffaloes. The enzyme reaction of dehydrogenases revealed that the steroidogenic cells were more active during follicular phase, luteal phase and pregnancy while weak activity was observed in the surface epithelium and tunica albuginea. Reactivity of diaphorases were weak to moderate in surface epithelium and tunica albuginea, moderate activity in theca cells and oocyte and intense reaction in granulosa cells of tertiary follicles and weak activity in connective tissue septa and intense in luteal cells in parenchyma of corpus luteum of buffalo. Activity of NSE was strong in the granulosa cells and corona radiate cells of secondary and tertiary follicles while it was moderate in the theca cells. Most of the enzymes were more active in pubertal and pregnant buffaloes compared with prepubertal buffaloes and could be correlated with the steroid synthesis. The difference in the intensity of enzyme in different compartments of ovary also correlated with the cells participating in the hormone synthesis.

This study was conducted to evaluate health care and management practices for calves less than or equal to 12 months of age in smallholder production system. Data was collected using household survey technique in Lodhran district, Punjab, Pakistan. 14 villages were selected using stratified proportionate random sampling method and 10 calf keeping households from each village were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Calves were not allowed to free range therefore all farmers practiced stall feeding. Housing facilities were of poor quality in half of farms (50.7 percent). Farmers were not using modern technologies of milk replacer, urea treated wheat straw and urea molasses blocks. All farmers offered colostrum however timings of offering differed. 75.7 percent farmers performed navel cord cutting and disinfection. All farmers offered treatment but majority (87.1 percent) practiced self-medication first. Vaccination rate was good at 94.3 percent. Almost all farmers performed drenching and dipping on their calves but there were vast differences in when and on what conditions they will be performed. Calf mortality rate for the last 12 months was 18.78 percent. Weaning age was high from modern calf rearing perspective. These findings suggest that there have been marked improvements in some parameters but farmers are still following traditional methods and practices of calf rearing due to severe lack of training related to calf rearing. There is a need for improvement in various aspects related to calf rearing including feed, housing, weaning and training.

An attempt was made to know the management system of intensive buffalo farming and buffalo derived -problems under semi-arid area of Bangladesh. Direct interview with farmers, farm observation, community discussion and key informant interview (KII) had been followed over six months in Dinajpur district. It was observed that buffaloes were reared under two types of management system namely household yard intensive (HYI) and completely intensive (CI). In HYI system, farmers purchased heifer or pregnant buffalo from local market and sold mother with calf after one year. Buffaloes were kept shed at night and maintained feeding, showering and other activities in the household yard at day. Those were showered by once-two times/week in cool day, but most of them were showered in a day. On the other hand, in CI system, buffaloes were reared inside the shed all time and maintain feeding, showering and other activities in the shed. Buffaloes were showered twice in a day in winter period while three times in summer period. Average milk production for each buffalo was 5 to 8 liter/day. Major productive and reproductive traits e.g. lactation Length (day), average milk yield (L/day), dry period (day), age at first pregnancy (month) and age at first calving (month) were found better in CI system than that of HYI system and those were found highly significant (P LT 0.001). Significant difference were found on total solids, fat and protein content but no significance difference were observed on SNF, lactose and ash of buffalo milk between two farms. Insignificant difference (P GT 0.05) was found for the value of electric conductivity (ECms/cm) that showed both farms produced healthy milk (3.25+-0.49 vs 3.09+-0.89). Both systems showed as a profitable venture (BCR 1.33 vs 1.25). Problem matrix revealed that the top ranked order of problem were "inadequate knowledge on buffalo rearing", "high price of feed" and "low milk price" mentioned as 1, 2 and 3. Shortage of feeds and fodder, high temperature and lack of cow boy were ranked as 4, 5 and 6. Limited breeder bull, lake of AI workers and inadequate quality semen and credit facilities mentioned as 7 ranked problem. It was concluded that ensuring training and marketing could help to improve intensive system of dairy buffalo that meet up the growing demand of milk in urban people. Simultaneously AI facilities with quality semen, HYV fodder cultivation and credit facilities should be promoted for sustainable dairy buffalo farming.

The current study was conducted to find out the factors affecting to swamp buffalo production in Songkhram wet land area (consisting of 3 districts: Si Songkhram, Tha Uthen, and Na Wa Districts), Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The data were collected from 370 farmers and analyzed by using Chi-square to test association of the studied factors between farm groups (Group I: farmers who produced the swamp for fancy buffaloes and showing, and Group II: farmers who produced the buffaloes for power work and meat production) in the study population. The results showed that many factors that affected to buffalo production, such as source of knowledge used for buffalo production, patterns of buffalo production, kinds of land, objectives for buffalo production, record keeping, types of roughage, person who suggest to select buffalo, mating systems, changing sire, information for considering for replacement dams selection, age at first mating, and problem and obstacle related to the achievement of swamp buffalo production (P LT 0.01) excepted for gender of farmers, educational level and type of labor for buffalo production (P GT 0.05). This information implied the need of increasing efficiency of buffalo production, and also improvement of knowledge, understanding and chance in sire selection of the farmers.

A case of dystocia associated with malpresentation of atypical cyclopic monster with arhinic condition was delivered per-vaginally through fetotomy in a buffalo.

A case of dystocia in a Murrah buffalo due to Schistosomus reflexus monster is reported and discussed here.

A postpartum swamp buffalo with a high body condition score (4.5/5) that did not show any signs of heat after calving (days open = 122 days) was submitted for reproductive examination. The buffalo was milked every morning and suckled after that the whole day. On examination, an ovarian cyst of about 3 cm diameter was palpated rectally in the left ovary, which was confirmed by transrectal ultrasonography and by measuring the plasma progesterone level 7 days later. The case was treated with a common treatment regimen of gonadotropin releasing hormone followed by prostaglandin F2 alpha 7 days later. The buffalo returned to estrus and was mated with a bull 16 days after the onset of treatment. This case study suggests that a regular postpartum reproductive examination should be performed for a timely diagnosis of problems, and that treatment with a standard hormonal protocol can resolve cases of ovarian cyst in swamp buffaloes.

The present study was designed to assess the bacterial isolation and their antibiogram from endometritis in slaughtered buffaloes. A total 110 uterine swabs at horn-body junction of slaughtered buffaloes were collected from local abattoir in Junagadh. Out of 110 uterine swabs 56 (50.90 percent) uterine samples showed the growth of various bacteria and remaining 54 swabs (49.10 percent) were found to be sterile. Among 56 uterine samples 50 swabs (89.28 percent) showed single isolate and remaining 06 (10.72 percent) exhibited mixed infection. The Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. isolates (24.19 percent) top the list followed by Corynebacterium spp. (17.74 percent), Micrococcus spp. (14.52 percent), Fusobacterium spp. (8.06 percent), Pseudomonas spp. (4.84 percent), Bacillus spp. (4.84 percent) and Streptococcus spp. (1.61 percent). The antimicrobial susceptibility of these bacterial isolates were showed highest sensitivity against Chloramphenicol (83.9 percent) followed by Gentamicin (80.6 percent), Levofloxacin (77.4 percent), Oxytetracycline (77.4 percent), Ceftriaxone/Sulbactam (69.3 percent), Cefoperazone/Sulbactam (61.2 percent) and Amoxicillin/Sulbactam (33.9 percent).

The Present study was conducted to retrospectively analyze the pattern of calf mortality (0 to 1 year age) from 1992 to 1993 to 2015 to 2016 in an organized Murrah buffalo herd maintained at Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB), Hisar, Haryana. During the study period, highest calf mortality (8.35 percent) was observed inperiod P1 (1992 to 1995), while lowest mortality (2.64 percent) was observed in P7 (2010 to 2013) with an overall mortality rate of 4.94 percent from1992 1993 to 2015 to 2016 over the period of twenty five years.The overallage-specific mortality (9.5 percent) was observed highest in Group I: birth to three months age,while lowest mortality (2.5 percent) was observed in Group 3: 6 to 12 months age. There was no significant difference in overall sex-specific mortality (P LT= 0.01) over the period of twenty four years. Highest proportionate mortality rate (37.6 percent) was observed during winter season and greatest losses in terms of proportionate mortality rate (30.7 percent) were attributed to gastrointestinal plus pneumonia causes of mortality. Chi square test depicted statistically significant association of period, age group, season and cause of deathwith the calf mortality at P LT = 0.01. Retrospective investigation indicates that overall calf mortality rate from birth to one year of age was much lesser during the recent period (P7: 2.6 percent, P8: 3.1 percent) possibly attributed to good husbandry conditions including routine vaccination schedule, optimum colostrum feeding and improved nutritional management as contributing factors here for a steady improvement in the management and health status of calves through time. Based on findings of the highest mortality up to 3 months age (9.5 percent) in the present study, proper hygienic conditions in calf sheds, adequate healthcare, appropriate colostrum feeding and good husbandry conditions during this critical period are recommended to minimise the calf exposure to new infections.