Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Economic impacts of calving season and parity on reproduction and production traits of buffaloes in the sub-tropics

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to enhance the profitability of dairy buffaloes, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the factors affecting their reproduction and milk production ability. Thus, the objective of this study was to elucidate the economic impacts of calving season and parity on reproduction and production indices of Egyptian dairy buffaloes (1180) reared under subtropical environmental conditions. Buffaloes calving in the autumn season had lesser days open, calving interval, and service per conception (108.25 days, 414.16 days, and 1.67, respectively), while spring calvers showed the greater calculations (210.27 days, 522.82 days, and 2.39, respectively). The buffaloes calving for the first time had the longest days open, calving interval, and number of services per conception among different parities (176.21 days, 490.05 days, and 2.18, respectively), then decreased thereafter. Furthermore, buffaloes calving in the winter season had the significantly highest total milk yield, milk revenue, total revenue, profit, and profit/cost ratio (1981.4 kg, 1769.1 $, 2019.5 $, 662.9 $, and 0.49, respectively) in comparison with other seasons. The total milk yield, lactation period, profit, and profit/cost ratio were increased to reach the peak values in the fourth parity (2051.5 kg, 252.44 days, 674.8 $, and 0.48, respectively), then decreased thereafter. In conclusion, buffaloes at the fourth parity and those calving in the winter season had the best milk yield, milk revenue, total revenue, and profit/cost ratio. Therefore, breeders must pay more attention to calving season and parity as they play an important role in the farm profitability and productivity and should counteract the adverse effects of periodical and seasonal changes. It is recommended to make estrus synchronization for more calvings in the winter season. Finally, choose the best lifetime for keeping the animal in production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abayawansa WD, Prabhakar S, Singh AK, Brar PS (2011) Effect of climatic changes on reproductive performance of Murrah buffaloes in Punjab: a retrospective analysis. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 81:334–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali A, Javed K, Ahmad N, Rehman SU (2011) Environmental factors affecting some reproductive traits in Nili Ravi buffaloes. The Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences 21:868–871

  • Aziz MA, Schoeman SJ, Jordaan GF, El-Chafie OM, Mahdy AT (2001) Genetic and phenotypic variation of some reproductive traits in Egyptian buffalo. South African Journal of Animal Science 31:195–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bampidis AV, Nistor E, Skapetas VB, Christodoulou V, Chatziplis D, Mitsopoulos I, Lagka V (2012) Effect of parity and calving month on milk production and quality of Greek buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Animal Science and Biotechnologies 45:216–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bashir MK, Khan MS, Bhatti SA, Iqbal A (2007) Lifetime performance of Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Pakistan. Asian Australas J Anim Sci 20:661–668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bashir MK, Khan MS, Lateef M, Mustafa MI, Khalid MF, Rehman S, Farooq U (2014) Environmental factors affecting productive traits and their trends in Nili­Ravi buffaloes. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences 25:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Bashir MK, Khan MS, Lateef M, Mustafa MI, Khalid MF, Shahid-ur-Rehman, Farooq U (2015) Environmental factors affecting productive traits and their trends in Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences 13:137–144

  • Bufano G, Carnicella D, De Palo P, Laudadio V, Celano G, Dario C (2006) The effect of calving season on milk production in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Arch Latinoam Prod Anim 14:60–61

  • Chakraborty D, Dhaka SS, Pander BL, Yadav AS (2010) Genetic studies on production efficiency traits in Murrah buffaloes. Indian Journal of Animal Science 80:898–901

    Google Scholar 

  • Devaraj M, Janakiraman K (1986) Postpartum performance of Surti buffaloes. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 56:532–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Ealy AD, Drost M, Robinson OW, Britt JH (1993) Developmental changes in embryonic resistance to adverse effects of maternal heat stress in cows. J Dairy Sci 76:2899–2905

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Tarabany MS (2015) Effects of non-lactating period length on the subsequent calving ease and reproductive performance of Holstein, Brown Swiss and the crosses. Anim Reprod Sci 158:60–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Tarabany MS, El-Bayoumi KM (2015) Reproductive performance of backcross Holstein × Brown Swiss and their Holstein contemporaries under subtropical environmental conditions. Theriogenology 83:444–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Tarabany MS, El-Tarabany AA (2015) Impact of thermal stress on the efficiency of ovulation synchronization protocols in Holstein cows. Anim Reprod Sci 160:138–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Tarabany MS, Nasr MAF (2015) Reproductive performance of Brown Swiss, Holstein and their crosses under subtropical environmental conditions. Theriogenology 84:559–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Tarabany MS, El-Tarabany AA, Roushdy EM (2016) Impact of parity on the efficiency of ovulation synchronization protocols in Holstein cows. Theriogenology 86:2230–2237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (2012) Agriculture statistics, Accessed May 3, 2012. http://faostat.fao.org/site/573.

  • Hamed MK (1994) Age and days open correction factors and repeatability estimates for yield and interval traits in Egyptian buffaloes. Egyptian Journal of Animal Production 31:163–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain Z (2007) Seasonal variations in breeding and calving patterns of Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Buffalo Bulletin 26:127–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain Z, Javed K, Hussain SMI, Kiyani GS (2006) Some environmental effects on productive performance of Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Azad Kashmir. Journal of Animal and Plant Science 16:66–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamble SS, Bhise BR, Chauhan DS (2014) Impact of climatic parameters on milk production in Murrah buffaloes. Journal of Crop and Weed 10:71–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandasamy N, Lagaithan VU, Krishna AR (1993) Non-genetic factors affecting calving interval and dry period of Murrah buffaloes. Buffalo Bulletin 12:63–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall PE, Webster JR (2009) Season and physiological status affects the circadian body temperature rhythm of dairy cows. Livest Sci 125:155–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khalil MH, Afifi EA, Bedeir LH, Zeidan SM (1992) Genetic analysis of lactation traits in Egyptian buffaloes. Anim Prod 92:155–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan AR (2007) Profitability, efficiency and market performance of dairy farms in Bangladesh. PhD thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

  • Khatri P, Das D, Kaka I, Samo MU, Bhutto B (2013) Influence of environmental temperature on postpartum reproductive potential of Kundhi buffaloes. Journal of Veterinary Advances 3:139–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khosroshahi ZT, Rafat SA, Shoja D (2011) Effects of non-genetic factors in milk production and composition in East Azarbaijan native buffaloes of Iran. Buffalo Bulletin 30:202–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar D, Singh H, Kumar D, Singh CV (2003) Non-genetic factors affecting some production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes. Indian Journal of Animal Research 37:24–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Marai IFM, Daader AH, Soliman AM, El-Menshawy SMS (2009) Non-genetic factors affecting growth and reproduction traits of buffaloes under dry management housing (in sub-tropical environment) in Egypt. Livestock Research for Rural Development, Volume 21: Article 30

  • Penchev P, Boichev M, Ilieva Y, Peeva TZ (2011) Effect of different factors on lactation curve in buffalo cows. Slovak Journal of Animal Science 44:103–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi MS, Habib G, Nawab G, Siddiqui MM, Ahmad N, Samad HA (2000) Milk progesterone profiles in various reproductive states in dairy buffaloes under field conditions. Proceedings of National Science Council 24:70–75

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramadan EK, El-Tahawy AS (2014) Effect of calving season on the economic and production efficiency of dairy production breeds. International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 8:798–802

    Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro HFL, Vale WG, Andrade VJ, Marques AP (2003) Environmental effect on the ovarian postpartum activity in the buffaloes raised in low Amazon region, Brazil. Buffalo Journal 19:311–321

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS (2002) SAS/STAT users guide. SAS Institute INC, Cary, NC 27513, USA

  • Shehab-El-Deen MAMM, Leroy JLMR, Fadel M, Saleh S, Maes D, Van Soom A (2007) Biochemical changes in the follicular fluid of the dominant follicle of high producing dairy animals exposed to heat stress early postpartum. Anim Reprod Sci 101:208–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suresh R, Bidarkar DK, Ramesh B, Gupta B, Sudhakarrao K, Sudhakar (2004) Production and reproduction performance of Murrah buffaloes. Indian Journal of Animal Science 74:854–857

    Google Scholar 

  • Suthar BN, Kavani FS (1992) Occurrence and nature of first postpartum estrus in Mehsani buffaloes. Indian Journal of Animal Reproduction 13:161–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiruvenkadan AK, Panneerselvam S, Rajendran R, Murali N (2010) Analysis on the productive and reproductive traits of Murrah buffalo cows maintained in the coastal region of India. Applied animal husbandry and rural development 3:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiruvenkadan AK, Panneerselvam S, Murali N, Selvam S, Ramesh V, Saravanakumar (2014) Milk production and reproduction performance of Murrah buffaloes of Tamil Nadu, India. Buffalo Bulletin 33:291–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Urdaneta M, Nestor S, Rojas N, Angulo F, Perozo F, Hernandez F, Zuleta AJ, Cahuao N, Torres I (1997) Lactation length in buffaloes in a very dry tropical area of Venezuela In: Proceedings of 5th World Buffalo Congress, 13–16 October, Royal Palace, Caserta, Italy, 208–212

  • Zicarelli L (1997) Reproductive seasonality in buffalo. In: Proceedings of Third International Course of Biotechnology in Buffalo Reproduction, Napoli 6–10 October, Italy, Suppl. Bubalus bubalis, 4: pp. 29–52

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the owners of buffalo herd at Ismalia Province, Egypt, for allowing us to collect the data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, El-Zeraa str. 114, Zagazig, Sharkia, 44511, Egypt

    Fardos A. M. Hassan, Mohamed A. Ali & Mahmoud S. El-Tarabany

Authors
  1. Fardos A. M. Hassan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohamed A. Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mahmoud S. El-Tarabany
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahmoud S. El-Tarabany.

Ethics declarations

The current work was approved by the Committee of Animal Care and Welfare, Zagzaig University, Egypt (ANWD-215).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hassan, F.A.M., Ali, M.A. & El-Tarabany, M.S. Economic impacts of calving season and parity on reproduction and production traits of buffaloes in the sub-tropics. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 10258–10266 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8686-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8686-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation