POSTPARTUM PERFORMANCE AS INFLUENCED BY BODY WEIGHT CHANGES AT PARTURITION IN BUFFALOES

Abstract

Twenty normal parturient Murrah buffaloes were divided into 2 groups of 10 each depending upon their body
weight loss at parturition compared to the one week prepartum, i.e. Group I (G I) lost more than 10% while Group
II (G II} lost less than 10%, The animals in GI continued to loose more weight than Gll till 8"' week postpartum.
Lowest body weight was recorded at 6"' week postpartum in both the groups followed by an increase thereafter.
' Milk yield continued to increase till 4"'weekin GI and 5th week postpartum in G II followed by a decline.A negative
(r = -0.495, P<0.05) correlation between percent weight loss and milk yield was recorded. Lactation yield was
significantly (P<0.05) lower in GI (1401 .14 ± 210.44 kg) than G II (2021 .40 ± 172.25 kg). Days to first postpartum
estrus day's open and number of services per conception were higher in G I than G 11. Calf weight did not differ but fetal membrane weight was higher in G I compared to G II. It can be inferred that Murrah buffaloes which lost more weight at parturition compared to one week prepartum continued to lose more weight till 8"' week postpartum, had significantly lower lactation yield and poor reproductive efficiency in terms of postpartum estrus interval, days open
and number of services per conception. Negative energy balance might be the contributing factor, which needs to be rectified to im~rove production as well as reproductio,i in high yielding Murrah buffaloes.