POSTPARTUM FOLLICULAR DEVELOPMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SUBSEQUENT REPRODUCTION IN BUFFALOES

Abstract

Early postpartum ovarian follicular activity was studied to test the hypothesis that the presence of
a large follicle 10 mm in diameter in the ovary ipsilateral to the previously gravid uterine horn between
Days 14 and 28 postpartum improves subsequent reproductive performance in water buffaloes. Freshly
calved, suckled Mehsana buffaloes (n = 20) were subjected to daily ovarian ultrasound imaging between
Day 14 and 28 postpartum. The direction of first postpartum large follicle (10 mm) in relation to past
gravid uterine horn was determined. Animals were divided into two groups based on location of a large
follicle on the ovary ipsi- (Group A) and contralateral (Group B) to past gravid uterine horn. First postpartum
ovulation, first postpartum estrus, calving to conception interval and number of services per conception
were recorded. The interval from calving to the detection of first large follicle was significantly higher
(P < 0.01) in the animals of Group B (17 .5 ± 1.2 days, n=12) than Group A (22.4 ± 1.7 days, n=8) up to
Day 28 postpartum. First postpartum ovulation occurred significantly earlier (P < 0.05) in animals ot
Group B ( 18.3 ± 1.5 days, n=7) than in animals of Group A (23.3 ± 1.2 days, n=7) up to Day 28
postpartum . The location of a large follicle on either the ovary ipsi- or contralateral to the uterine horn
carrying the previous conceptus did not significantly affect the occurrence of the first postpartum estrus
(57.9 ± 5.8 versus 56.6 ± 10.5 days), the calving to conception interval (68.4 ± 15.0 versus 91.8 ± 12.9
days) or the number of services per conception (1.4 ± 0.3 versus 1.7 ± 0.2). It was concluded that the
data did not support the hypothesis that the presence of a large follicle in the ovary ipsilateral to the
previously gravid uterine horn during the early postpartum period improved the subsequent reproductive
performance of water buffaloes.