This research was carried out to investigate the possibilities of removing the heat stress that may occur in Anatolian water buffaloes with a fogging system and to determine the cooling efficiency of the system. In this context, two 24-headed groups were formed among the water buffaloes that were considered to have the same genetic similarities, were born in the same period and have the same lactation number. One group was housed under controlled shelter conditions (Shelter-I), where the ambient temperature can be controlled, and the other group was housed in existing farmer-raising conditions (Shelter-II). The same feed rations were applied to both buffalo groups. The cooling efficiency of the fogging system established in Shelter-I was between 45.6% and 85.7% positive. Temperature-Humidity Index values changed between 19.9 and 23.1 in Shelter-I and 19.5 and 26.4 in Shelter-II according to the maximum average data. According to these values, the level of stress in Shelter-II has reached very serious levels and affected the milk yield of buffaloes negatively. The corrected 305-day lactation milk yields were calculated as 1965.4 kg in Shelter-I and 1757.1 kg in Shelter-II. The differences between all data obtained for Shelter-I and Shelter-II were found statistically significant.

Water buffaloes in Turkey originate from Mediterranean Water Buffaloes, a subgroup of river water buffaloes and are known as Anatolian Water Buffalo. During the 1970’s the number of water buffaloes in Turkey was one million, but in 2010 this figure dropped to about 85.000. Thanks to the incentives introduced for water buffalo husbandry in recent years, the water buffalo population has risen to 143.073 heads. Water buffalo husbandry in Turkey is performed in some provinces of the Black Sea, Marmara and Central Anatolian Regions. The provinces with the highest amount of water buffalo existence are listed as Samsun, Diyarbakır, Istanbul, Tokat, Bitlis, Muş, Afyon, Kayseri, Sivas and Amasya. Breeding style in Turkey is in the form small family business, with an average of 1-5 animals per enterprise. Family enterprises are keeping water buffaloes for their own consumption. Mostly breeding in modern enterprises formed for indoor barn breeding, the size of the herds is around 50 to 100 heads. Being done only at swamps or waterfronts in the past, water buffalo husbandry increasingly takes place in modern facilities nowadays. The colour of Anatolian Water Buffaloes is generally black and their horns curved backwards, are called arch horns in Turkey. The lactation milk yield and lactation length in Anatolian Water Buffaloes are between 800 and 1100 kg and about 180-280 days respectively. It is demonstrated that they varied according to effects of environmental factors, care and feeding. Adult water buffalo’s live weight is about 411-518 kg. The first insemination age of water buffalo is 32 to 43 months and during a lifespan the number of lactation periods is 5 to 10. For adult water buffalo at withers the height of females is being expressed as around 135 cm. Calves are generally breastfed for 3-4 months. Generally, water buffaloes are milked twice a day in the village farms by hand.