The present study was conducted to determine the effect of increasing temperature humidity index (THI) on lactating Murrah buffalo. The study was conducted on six lactating buffaloes which were offered the same basal diet and were blocked by days in milk, milk yield and parity. The study was conducted during May, June and July with average THI of 79.88, 80.57 and 85.36, respectively. Milk yield was recorded twice a day at 06:00 and 18:00 h and physiological parameters were recorded and blood was sampled on 30th day of each month at 14:30 h. The results showed a significant decrease (P LT 0.05) in milk yield in buffaloes only at a THI of 85.36 as compared to THI up to 80.57. The rectal temperature (RT) did not change (P=0.580) with increasing THI up to 85.36, however, the respiration rate (RR) and pulse rate (PR) changed (P LT 0.05) progressively with increasing THI. Leucocytopnoea, lymphocytopnoea and neutrophilia; and alteration in serum urea, alkaline phosphatase activity, reactive oxygen species and phosphorus concentration were observed only at a THI of 85.36 as compared to THI up to 80.57. Similarly, significant (P LT 0.05) alteration in serum T4, cortisol and prolactin levels were observed at a THI of 85.36 as compared to THI up to 80.57. It can be concluded that lactating buffaloes experienced mild heat stress up to a THI of 80.57 (May and June) and a moderate type of heat stress at a THI 85.36 (July).

The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy of Ceftiofur hydrochloride intramammary (IMM) formulation (Spectramast LC, Zoetis India) with or without parenteral Cefoperazone/Sulbactum antibiotic on bacteriological cure, clinical cure and pathogen cure in lactation clinical mastitis (CM) when compared with control group treated with Amoxicillin-Sulbactum. The study was conducted from September 2015 through December 2017 on lactating buffaloes suffering from clinical mastitis (n=307) (Treatment group, T1 = 156 and Control group, T2 = 151) mostly at farmer's doorstep and also the participation of organized buffalo herds located at Hisar (n=2), Sirsa (n=1) from Haryana and at Nabha (n=1) from Punjab after follow up 1 and 2 at day 10 and 21 respectively. Infected quarters in Grade I and II lactation CM Treatment group (T1) were treated from day 0 to day 4 i.e. for 5 consecutive days with Ceftiofur hydrochloride IMM formulation or in Grade III lactation CM, IMM Ceftiofur hydrochloride along with parenteral Cefoperazone/Sulbactum. Control group (T2) received treatment from day 0 to day 2 i.e. for 3 consecutive days with Amoxicillin-Sulbactum antibiotic. Of 307 buffaloes infected with CM at day 0 pre-treatment, 93.49 percent of milk samples came culture positive whereas 52.12 percent (n=160/307) and 29.64 percent (91/307) of culture positive milk samples were there at day 10 and day 21 post-treatment respectively. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most prevalent causative agent followed by other gram positive, mixed infection, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., other coliform, Pseudomonas, other gram negative and Enterococcus spp. While apparent bacteriological cure rate of IMI was 50.37 percent (at animal level) at day 10 post-treatment in the Treatment group receiving Spectramast LC, it was 77.78 percent at day 21 post-treatment in the same group. The bacteriological cure rate of 45.45 percent and 57.58 percent were observed at day 10 and day 21 post-treatment in Control group respectively. Buffaloes receiving Spectramast LC (Treatment group) were 1.12 times (at day 10) and 1.35 times (at day 21) more likely to cure than Control group. Treatment group showed numerically higher clinical and pathogen cure than control group.

Present study was undertaken to appraise dynamic changes in metabolic and hormonal profile in water buffaloes during post parturient peak lactation. Total 30 early lactating buffaloes were studied and compared at two points, first at 15 to 20 days and second at 40 to 45 days post calving. The parameters investigated were milk yield, milk composition, blood glucose, beta-hydroxy butyrate (BHBA), glucagon, Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxin (T4). Farm history, milk samples and blood samples were collected at two time points from all the buffaloes for analysis. Buffaloes during post parturient peak lactation showed significant (P LT 0.05) changes in milk yield and milk fat and non-significant (P LT 0.05) changes in milk SNF percentage, glucose, BHBA, glucagon T3, and T4, respectively. In the conclusion, study recorded deviation in metabolic and hormonal profile during early peak lactation.

Data on Egyptian buffalo were analyzed to estimate the effect of age at first calving (AFC, mo) classes on some productive traits [milk yield (MY, kg), milk yield per day, (MY/D, kg), and lactation period (LP, d) and reproductive traits [calving interval (CI, d) and number of services per conception (NSPC, count). Means for AFC were 916+-41, 1143+-72 and 1414+-119 days for early, average and late respectively. Additionally, means of milk yield (MY) for mentioned three levels of AFC were 1780+-774, 1920+-607 and 2040+-812 kg, respectively. Economic evaluations indicated that the profit per buffalo cow during the lifetime production were L.E 62960 (us dollars 3778), L.E 38538 (us dollars 2312) and L.E 3695 (us dollars 222) of early, average and late AFC, respectively. Reducing AFC was a positive influence on lifetime profit per buffalo cow. Lifetime profit rises to about L.E 24400, L.E 59200, and L.E 34800 when AFC decreased to 30 months from (38 months), to 30 months from (55 months) and to 38 months from (55 months), respectively. Heritability estimates for MY, MY/D, LP, CI, NSPC and AFC were 0.39+-0.09, 0.31+-0.07, 0.21+-0.08, 0.15+-0.06, 0.11+-0.07 and 0.57+-0.18, respectively. Genetic correlations between AFC and MY, MY/D, LP, CI, NSPC were -0.146+-0.33, -0.382+-0.30, +0.038+-0.47, +0.530+-0.49 and +0.311+-0.63, successively. The present results revealed that the buffaloes having late AFC were unprofitable during her productive life in the farm, but still needs further investigation of large data with different geographical area and management conditions.

Data on 4971 test-day milk yield traits [milk (TDMY), fat (TDFY) and protein (TDPY)] for 691 Egyptian buffalo cows, daughters of 120 sires and 532 dams were used for fitting the lactation curve parameters of milk, fat and protein yields using multiple-trait animal model. The random effects included in the model were direct additive genetic, permanent environment and error, while the fixed effects were herd test-day, year and season of calving and parity as well as days in milk as a covariable. The means for TDMY, TDFY, TDPY and lactation curve parameters [initial (a), ascending slope (b), descending slope (c), persistency (P), and maximum milk production during lactation (Ymax) and the peak test-day (PY)] were estimated. Heritabilities of TDMY, a, b, c, P, PY and Ymax were 0.22, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.37, 0.37 and 0.38, respectively. The corresponding heritabilities for TDFY and fat curve parameters were 0.21, 0.41, 0.40, 0.39, 0.38, 0.36 and 0.42, while the estimates for TDPY and protein curve parameters were 0.22, 0.38, 0.40, 0.40, 0.38, 0.40 and 0.43, respectively. Genetic correlations among TDMY and curve parameters of a, b, c, P, PY and Ymax were 0.31, -0.23, -0.34, 0.52, 0.48 and 0.87, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between milk yield traits were high (mostly of 0.83 and 0.99), like the correlations between curve parameter in milk, fat and protein (from 0.71 to 0.96). In practice, genetic selection for lactation curve parameters (a, P and Ymax) in the Egyptian buffalo would improve total milk yield traits.

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.

Present experiment was conducted on sixty Murrah buffalo divided into three groups: lactating, involution stage/dry and pregnant stage (non-lactating early pregnant stage, non-lactating mid pregnant stage and non-lactating late pregnant stage). Most of the alveoli were spherical to oval elongated in shape. In lactating stage, only small and medium sized alveoli were present. In involuting stage due to degeneration and inactiveness only small alveoli were recorded. In non-lactating late pregnant stage most of the alveoli were large sized. A highly significant statistical difference was noted among different stages of lactation in the diameter of alveoli. The active alveoli were lined by cuboidal epithelium to low cuboidal epithelium, while resting alveoli were lined by squamous epithelium with dark nuclei. The number of resting alveoli were found increased with the advancement of lactation. Up to two months of involution most of the alveoli were degenerative. A highly significant statistical difference was noted in the height of alveolar epithelium in different stages of lactation.

Lactation curve and persistency of the lactation are the important parameters to study the sustainability of the lactation. The present study is based on daily milk production records for 298 lactations (maximum four lactations per animal) from 130 buffaloes belonging to 15 sires. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme was used to prepare the lactation curve. Two most widely applied functions to study the lactation curve in Indian buffaloes i.e. gamma and inverse polynomial functions, were fitted to the daily milk yield records of the animals under study. Persistency was studied by carrying out simple analysis through Microsoft Excel 2000 on the weekly milk yield records of the animals. Gamma function was found to be more effective with higher R sup(2) value for all the four lactations to prepare the lactation curve as compared to inverse polynomial function. The value of persistency was found to be ranging from 97.94 percent to 98.56 percent for the fourth lactation to the first lactation, respectively. So it was concluded that gamma function can be effectively used to establish lactation curve and predict milk yield of animals on any day of lactation and Surti buffaloes as fairly persistent in milk production throughout the lactations.

Thirty-six healthy Tarai buffaloes (280-350+-10 kg body weight, 2nd to 4th parity) were selected to investigate their milk composition. The selected animals were divided into four groups having nine buffaloes in each group as, each group from early, mid and late lactation and another group of dry buffaloes. The study carried out in four seasons and climatic variants of temperature and relative humidity were recorded for each month where temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated. Results of milk composition with advancing in lactation stage showed significantly (P LT 0.05) higher values for milk fat, urea and total solids. In season-wise, milk constituents of fat, protein and total solids were found significantly (P LT 0.05) higher during winter season except higher milk urea in summer season. Other milk constituents include lactose, SNF and pH were remain unaffected throughout the lactation period and seasons. Milk somatic cell count (SCC) is affected by both lactation period and seasons but the variations stood non-significant. Calculated THI in tarai region was found higher (79 LT THI LT 84) during summer and rainy seasons. It may be concluded that Tarai buffalo performances are affected by seasonal variations and lactation period as indicated in milk composition variations. Thus, Tarai buffalo could perform better if improvement in their management system of housing and feeding of quality nutrients.

This study was conducted to analyze the consequence of prill fat and rumen protected choline (RPC) supplementation on performance of lactating Murrah buffaloes. Murrah buffaloes (n=18) were distributed into three groups (Control, T1 and T2) having six buffaloes in each, based on milk yield, fat per cent and stage of lactation. During the experimental period of 90 days, buffaloes in all the three groups were fed same basal diet, containing green fodder (Berseem), wheat straw and concentrate mixture to meet their requirements for maintenance and milk production. Buffaloes in Group T1 were daily supplemented with prill fat 2.5 percent of total DMI whereas; buffaloes in Group T2 were daily supplemented with 54 g rumen protected choline along with same quantity of prill fat fed as in Group T1. In contrast to the control group, overall milk yield (kg) of lactating Murrah buffaloes was significantly (P LT 0.01) increased by 0.99 and 1.78 kg in Group T1 and T2. The average 4 percent FCM (kg/d), ECM (kg/d) and fat yield (kg/d) was significantly (P LT 0.01) higher in Group T2 followed by Group T1 and Group control. There was no significant difference in milk composition of buffaloes except milk fat (percent) and total solids (percent) which were improved significantly (P LT 0.01) in supplemented groups. It was observed that prill fat supplementation in the ration helped to make better performance of early lactating Murrah buffaloes by enhanced milk yield and fat percent which can be further increased by supplementing the ration with rumen protected choline. Overall milk yield (kg) of lactating Murrah buffaloes was significantly (p LT 0.01) increased by 0.99 and 1.78 kg in T1 and T2 groups, as compared to the control group. The average 4 percent FCM (kg/d), ECM (kg/d) and fat yield (kg/d) was significantly (p LT 0.01) higher in T2 group followed by T1 and control group. There was no significant difference in milk composition of buffaloes except milk fat (percent) and total solids (percent) which were improved significantly (p LT 0.01) in supplemented groups. It was concluded that prill fat supplementation in the ration helped in improving performance of early lactating Murrah buffaloes by increasing milk yield and fat percent which can be further enhanced by supplementing the ration with rumen protected choline.