Investigating the relationship between heat load and shade seeking behaviour in dairy buffaloes.

The study presented in this Research Communication aimed to investigate the relationship between physiological responses, body surface temperature and shade-seeking behaviour in Nili Ravi dairy buffaloes during summer months. We enrolled 60 buffaloes, and each animal was observed for three consecutive days starting before sunrise until they moved towards the shade structures. A repeated measures ANOVA was employed to assess the changes in physiological parameters and body surface temperature between the early morning and the occurrence of shade-seeking behaviour. The average temperature humidity index and heat load index during the behavioural monitoring period (0400 to 1200 h) were 81.3 ± 6.5 and 92.9 ± 17, respectively (mean ± sd). There was no significant difference in core body temperature between sunrise and the time of shade-seeking event. However, the buffaloes had a slightly higher respiration rate at the time of shade-seeking (19.2 vs. 22.4 breaths/min). In addition, body surface temperature, measured at the flank region, shoulder, base of the ear and forehead was significantly higher at the occurrence of shade-seeking behaviour compared to the early morning. On average, the buffaloes sought shade when the surface temperature was 2°C higher than the temperature recorded before sunrise. Overall, the current findings suggest that body surface temperature, rather than core body temperature was strongly associated with shade-seeking behaviour in dairy buffaloes. These findings could be useful in developing strategies to mitigate the effects of heat stress in dairy buffalo herds and thereby improve animal welfare.

Teat morphology across five buffalo breeds: a multi-country collaborative study.

The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a species of worldwide importance, raised to produce milk, meat, and hides, and often used as a working animal in rural contexts with low access to hi-tech solutions. In the present study, 100 lactating buffaloes (50 primiparous and 50 pluriparous) of five popular breeds were recruited to characterize and compare teat morphology. In particular, the focus was put on the Nili Ravi, Mediterranean, Egyptian, Bulgarian Murrah, and Azeri buffaloes raised in Pakistan, Italy, Egypt, Bulgaria, and Iran, respectively. In all countries, a longitudinal cross-section ultrasound was obtained before the milking to measure teat parameters at individual level: overall, teat canal length (TCL) averaged 24.13 mm, teat diameter (TD) 30.46 mm, cisternal diameter (CD) 17.80 mm, and teat wall (TW) 7.12 mm. The most variable trait across breeds was TCL which was positively correlated with CD and TD and negatively with TW, regardless of the teat position (front/rear or left/right). A strong negative correlation was found between TW and CD (- 0.43). The analysis of variance revealed that the fixed effect of breed significantly affected all the traits except TD. In fact, Bulgarian Murrah, Azeri, and Egyptian buffaloes presented the greatest estimate of TCL, whereas NR the smallest (14.70 mm). The TW was maximum in Nili Ravi, Egyptian, and Mediterranean buffaloes, with estimates equal to 8.19, 7.59, and 8.74 mm, respectively. Nili Ravi also showed the greatest TL (82.39 mm). In terms of CD, the lowest least square mean was that of Mediterranean buffaloes (12.14 mm). Primiparous and pluriparous buffaloes differed in terms of TD, TW, and TL, with older animals presenting the highest least square mean. In terms of position, instead, significant differences were observed for TD, CD, and TL when comparing front and rear teats, as left and right teats did not differ. Teat anatomy includes a set of heritable morphological features and is therefore breed-dependent. Differences presented in this study could be attributed to the divergent breeding objective and selective pressure across the five breeds; e.g., in some cases such as Mediterranean buffalo, selection for decades was oriented to improve milk production and milkability and achieve optimal conformation for mechanical milking. A better understanding of the mammary gland anatomical descriptors can be informative of the history of a breed and could provide useful insights to guide possible selection.

Evaluating the impact of sprinkler cycle and flow rate on dairy buffalo performance during heat stress.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the sprinkler cycle and flow rate on physiological, behavioural, and productive responses in dairy buffaloes. Nine Nili Ravi lactating buffaloes were subjected to three sprinkler cycles and two flow rates using a double replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. The flow rates were 1.25 and 2 l/min, and the sprinkler cycles (minutes water on/off, number of cycles/h) were: 3/3, 10 cycles; 3/6, 7 cycles and 3/9, 5 cycles. The showering was applied from 0800 till 1630 h daily. In the first square of 21 d, each of the three sprinkler cycles was applied using a 1.25 l/min flow rate for 7 d per cycle. In the later square, the same treatments (sprinkler cycles) were applied using the 2 l/min flow rate. The average temperature humidity index during the study period was 85.7 ± 3.8 (Mean ± sd). The result showed that the 3/3 treatment group had lower body temperature and respiration rate than the other groups. The buffaloes in the 3/3 group produced 0.5 and 0.7 kg more milk with 1.4 and 2.4% more fat than the 3/6 and the 3/9 treatment groups, respectively. Similarly, the 2 l/min flow rate had a lower core body temperate and respiration rate and higher milk yield than the 1.25 l/min group. The 3/3 showering cycle with a 2 l/min flow rate appeared effective in improving physiological responses and milk yield in dairy buffaloes.

Validation of a body condition scoring system in Nili Ravi dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis): inter- and intra-assessor variability.

The aim of the research reported in this Research Communication was to apply the 5-point body condition scoring (BCS) system to dairy buffaloes and subjectively validate it by assessing the intra- and inter-assessor agreement. For this purpose, the BCS system developed for dairy cows was applied to buffaloes. A total of 230 Nili Ravi buffaloes of varying parity, lactation stages and pregnancy status were enrolled from the Buffalo Research Institute, Pattoki, Pakistan. Four observers independently assigned BCS values to each enrolled buffalo in two phases, as follows: (1) during phase I, the assessors were trained for BCS assessment using a BCS chart developed by Elanco Animal Health Ltd.; and (2) during phase II, the assessors were trained using live buffaloes for BCS assessment. Kappa statistics (kw) were used to determine the intra- and inter-assessor agreement. The results revealed that the exact overall inter- and intra-assessor agreement was moderate (kw = 0.48-0.55) and increased to substantial levels after training on live animals (kw = 0.63-0.87). Furthermore, the intra- and inter-assessor exact agreement was higher (kw = 0.57-0.58) for buffaloes tied to the mangers compared to the buffaloes standing in the loafing area (kw = 0.50). The inter-assessor agreements within 0.25 and 0.5 points were almost perfect (kw = 0.97-1.0). The current results suggested that the 5-point BCS system (using a scale from 1 to 5 with 0.25 increments) had substantial agreement for assessment and repeatability when applied to buffaloes.

Effect of body condition score at calving on transition success in Nili Ravi buffaloes.

Body condition score (BCS) at calving is a vital indicator of the effectiveness of the beginning of lactation in dairy animals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of BCS at calving on milk production and transition success in dairy buffaloes. Thirty-six (36) Nili Ravi buffaloes were enrolled at 40 days of expected calving and followed through 90 days of lactation. The buffaloes were categorized into three groups according to their BCS (on a scale of 1-5 with 0.25 increments) as follows: 1) low, buffaloes with BCS ≤ 3.0; 2) medium, buffaloes with BCS 3.25-3.5; and 3) high, buffaloes with BCS ≥ 3.75. All buffaloes were fed a similar diet ad libitum. The lactation diet had increased concentrate allowance according to milk yield. The results revealed that the BCS at calving did not affect milk yield; however, fat percentage (fat%) was lower in the low-BCS group. Dry matter intake (DMI) was similar among the treatment groups, although post-calving BCS loss was greater in the high-BCS group compared to the medium- and the low-BCS groups. Similarly, the buffaloes in the high-BCS group had higher non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentration compared to the low- and medium-BCS groups. No cases of metabolic disorders were observed during the study. The present results suggest that the buffaloes in the medium-BCS group appeared to perform better compared to the low- and the high-BCS groups with respect to milk fat% and blood NEFA concentration.