ESTIMATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF BODY CONDITION SCORE IN RELATION TO REPRODUCTIVE STATUS IN BUFFALOES

P. I. Penchev, Y. Ileva, K. Dimov, M. Yosifov

Abstract: With the aim to assess the changes in body condition score (BCS) in relation to reproductive status, 46 Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes (13 heifers and 33 cows) were subjected to 14 monthly check sessions carried out by two evaluators. Scores for five skeletal check points (pins, sacrum, hooks, ribs, ithers) were recorded using the 5-point scale developed by Todorov and Mitev (1993). The sets of ndividually averaged BCS data were processed with the software products LSMLMW and MIXMDL (Harvey, 1990), the overall operational model including the effects ear tag number, age, reproductive status, ession (date), and evaluator.
The ANOVA showed that reproductive status is a highly significant source of variance of BCS (F=12.85, P<0.001). Compared to adult buffaloes, heifers were found to have higher dynamics of BCS, concerning the gain throughout gestation and the loss during lactation. Regardless of lactation stage, optimal conception was established to occur at reaching BCS~ 4. Rebreeding in peak lactation (averagely 68 dpostpartum) in 30% of the buffaloes is associated with markedly less loss of BCS (0.20 points) in the peripartum, compared to those with moderate (112 d) and long (196 d) service period (0.44 points).

Keywords: BCS; buffaloes; reproduction; service period

Date published: 2017-02-09