Breeding Behaviour of Buffaloes in India

In this article we will discuss about the breeding behaviour of buffaloes.

The buffalo is poly-oestrous, breeding throughout the year, but rainfall, feed supply, ambient temper­ature and photoperiod influence the annual calving pattern. In tropical countries like India, she buffaloes show seasonal sex periodicity in respect of oestrous and conception.

Most of the animals show periodi­city in October to February with the peak around December and this period coincides with higher conception rate. Buffalo bulls are sexually least active during hot seasons. High environmental tem­perature upsets the normal physiological functions affecting spermatogenesis in males and ovarian activity in the females.

Decreasing day length and cooler ambient temperatures favour cyclicity whereas long day length and the high summer tem­peratures depress cyclicity. In the Indian subconti­nent, most buffaloes calve between November and March.

During this breeding period, the bulls have been found to be very active sexually and the quality and quantity of semen are very high, particularly during winter (November to February). The she-buffaloes show the maximum of ovarian activity and the largest percentage of them conceive during this period.

With judicious management practices such as heat detection, protection from thermal stress, adequate and balanced ration and optimum time of insemi­nation, the calving in buffaloes could be evenly spread round the year to a great extent.

Silent Heat:

Silent heat refers to normal follicular development and ovulations without the behavioural signs of estrus. In summer the extreme climatic stress coupled with increased daylight reduces the incidences of buffaloes coming in regular heat.

During this time other reproductive problems like repeat breeding and pregnancy losses are also increased. It is generally felt that most of the buffaloes do have sub-functional ovaries causing weak or silent oestrus (in 60% cases) and such incidences are even higher than the true anestrous, especially in summer.

Corrective Measures:

(1) For animals which either do not manifest oestrus or are in a state of silent oestrus or sub-oestrus firstly need proper attention rather than therapies. Two or three examina­tions with an interval of a week between each state will reveal that most of them are cases of apparent anestrous.

(2) In extreme summer condition these animals should be protected from direct solar radia­tion by maintaining them in shaded half- walled sheds. If possible animals are given showers in addition to wallowing facilities particularly at midday during April, May and June.

(3) Parading vasectomized bulls for heat detec­tion can be gainfully employed at organized/ large farms. Since in summer buffalo bulls soon lose libido, replacement by young high libido bulls may be applied.

(4) Painting of Lugol’s Iodine. The external os is swabbed thoroughly with Lugol’s solution with the help of a metallic swab holder and vaginal speculum—double application of this solution is sometimes recommended at one week’s interval.

It is presumed that applica­tion of Lugol’s Iodine on the cervix causes local irritation and brings about reflex stimulation of anterior pituitary for secretion of gonadotrophins and thus cyclicity starts.

Repeat Breeding of Buffalo:

A repeat breeding in buffalo is the one which has normal oestrus, oestrus cycles as well as reproductive tract and has been bred three or more times by a fertile bull.

It is possible that pathology which cannot be detected by normal clinical methods may be present which include among others, failure of fertilization, anovulation and delayed ovulation, tubal obstructions, early or latent embryonic mortalities, poor breeding and management techniques including genetic, nutritional and infectious factors.

Endome­tritis in many cases has been found to play major factor for causing repeat breeding.

Endometritis is caused by sporadic uterine infect­ions by a variety of micro-organisms such as Coli- form bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Strepto­cocci, etc. viral and fungal agents along with myco­plasmal agents may also cause endometritis in cattle and buffaloes.

The condition follows mainly parturi­tion, especially abnormal ones; abortion, dystokia, retained placenta, genital prolapse, uterine inertia, traumatic lesions in the uterus, cervix and vagina. Daily examination of repeaters is necessary to correct the condition arising from ovarian dysfunction.

The golden rule, prevention is better than cure, applies more appropriately to reproductive problems.

The incidence can be kept under control by adopting methods such as:

(1) Improved feeding and manage­ment,

(2) Providing hygienic surroundings at the time of calving,

(3) Aseptic precautions at the time of inseminations, and

(4) Educating farmers on detec­tion of heat and maintenance of breeding records.

Weaning:

Separating calf from its mother at a very early age is a bit difficult in buffaloes due to high motherly instinct. Since the method is important to assess dam’s milk production and to feed calf according to live weight, a substitution technique could be followed.

A single calf is substituted for let-down of milks in a number of buffaloes and the real calves are weaned just after birth. It can be achieved by putting blinkers (materials used to shut off the side views of buffaloes) during parturition and subsequently soiling the body of substituted calf with placental secretions. The dam starts licking the substituted calf after removal of blinkers.

Reproductive Factors in Female:

Poor reproduction is a major limiting factor in buffalo production and for achieving quick genetic improvement. Buffaloes, both swamp and river, have a very high age at first calving and long calving intervals, the latter being partly due to greater lactation stress in high producing buffaloes and partly due to seasonality of breeding.

For a successful breeding to occur, a female animal must be in heat and bred at the right time after oestrous is observed. With proper nutritional management heifers could be bred successfully even as early as two years of age. Buffaloes have been reported to show less intense signs of oestrous.

Problems of irregular oestrous are the most important factor obstructing attainment of full reproductive and productive potential of this species. Notable reason for this is the seasonal variation and malnutrition. In such cases the ovaries become smooth or inactive.

1. Estrous Cycle:

The estrous cycle is about 21 days which comprises four distinct phases, viz., pro-estrous, estrous, meta- estrous and di-estrous. Overt signs of estrous in buffalo are not as pronounced as in cattle. Heterosexual behaviour or standing to be mounted by a male is the most reliable sign of estrous in the buffalo.

2. Mating Behaviour:

Mating behaviour in many respects resembles that of cattle. On contacting a female, the male sniffs her urine, then displays the ‘Flehmen’ reaction and proceeds to nuzzle and lick the perineum and vulva. An oestrous female responds by standing immobile for the male to mount and ejaculate; mutiny lasts for 20-30 seconds.

Rhythmic pelvic thrusts during intromission and the forward leap at ejaculation are less marked in buffalo than cattle. The male dismounts and gradually retracts penis into the sheath while the female remains with her back arched and tail elevated for a few minutes.

3. Gestation Length:

The gestation period varies according to breed and environment and appears to be slightly longer than cattle. It is generally quoted as being “6 weeks less than a year” (or 10 months and 10 days). The average appears to be 316 + 5 days.

Under the usual conditions of husbandry, a female buffalo will produce its first calf at the age of 3-½ to 4 ½ years and thereafter will average 2 calves in every three years up to the age of 15. Twins are extremely rare.

The average time for entire process of par­turition comprising:

(i) Dilation of the cervix,

(ii) Ex­pulsion of foetus,

(iii) Expulsion of foetal membrane is about 1 hour. Calving seldom presents any difficulty.

Factors Affecting Libido and Semen Quality in Male:

The size and weight of testes are significantly lower in buffaloes than in cattle, and are reflected in relatively poor libido and semen production and quality.

High ambient temperature and direct solar radiation adversely affect libido and semen production. Administration of exogenous gonadotrophins has produced variable results. Intramuscular injections of prostaglandins (PGF2) 1 hour before semen col­lection reduced the reaction time and resulted in increased ejaculate volume without affecting the total and live sperm concentration.

The major problems of male fertility are poor libido, quantitative and qualitative reduction in buffalo semen during summer, and wide range of variability in libido, semen production, and quality and freezability among bulls.

The spermatogenic efficiency of the buffalo is only 43%. Although these problems are mostly related to nutrition and physical environ­ment, especially heat stress, there are large genetic differences which could possibly be exploited in improving performance of males.