Workshop on Strategies for Increasing Buffalo Population in Tamil Nadu

摘要

Buffaloes have superior production potential for milk and meat, but are relatively poor as draught animals. Docile in nature, they contribute substantially to food and nutrition through milk and meat and provide rural transport through draught animalpower. They also provide organic manure. Buffalo milk has a high total solid content, especially fat, and is thus highly suitable for preparation of dairy products. However, some constraints are present in buffalo production viz high calf mortality, delayed sexual maturity, less frequent calving, problems in detection of heat because of poor physical expression and requiring the presence of bull, longer inter-calving period and seasonality of breeding, which is more managemental then specific to the species. Reproductive efficiency and calf mortality are major limiting factors in buffalo production. These problems of delayed puberty and sexual maturity are primarily due to poor management and feeding rather than inherent limitations of the species.