Longevity and Production in the Buffalo

Abstract

AN attempt has been made to estimate the extent to which selection for yield might be expected to influence the productive life of the buffalo. The calculations were carried out on data from animals that were not in the course of their productive herd-life. These animals were either dead, or culled from the herds studied. They were grouped together within herds according to their number of calvings. The average first lactation yield for the different groups was calculated and expressed as a percentage of their herd average. The total results for the herds were obtained by weighting the relative yields in similar groups in the different herds according to the number of animals contributing to them.