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Water Buffalo Responsiveness during Milking: Implications for Production Outputs, Reproduction Fitness, and Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223115. [PMID: 36428343 PMCID: PMC9686578 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the effects that milking temperament (MT) of water buffaloes has on milking traits, welfare indicators, and reproductive outputs. The study was performed on 60 multiparous buffalo cows (6.7 ± 0.6 lactations) at the beginning of their lactation (100 days in milk, DIM). Each buffalo cow was scored by two independent observers using a temperament scoring system (1: extremely calm, 2: calm, 3: alert, 4: reactive, and 5: aggressive), and then grouped as 'calm' (scores 1, 2, and 3; n = 42) or 'nervous' (scores 4 and 5; n = 18). Additionally, the milk yield at 100 DIM (MY), milking speed (MS), calving interval (CI), age at first calving (AFC), body condition score (BCS), animal-based welfare parameters, and infrared thermography data (IRT) were evaluated. The MT significantly influenced the MY (p = 0.0082), with calmer cows outperforming their nervous counterparts. The MS was significantly influenced by the MT (p = 0.0015), with calmer animals having a higher milk ejection rate. The MT of the cows had no influence on the CI, AFC, or BCS. The evidence from this study suggests that the responsiveness of buffalo cows during milking affects their milk yield and milking speed, with no associations being found for reproduction efficiency indicators or animal-based welfare indicators.
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Mota-Rojas D, Bragaglio A, Braghieri A, Napolitano F, Domínguez-Oliva A, Mora-Medina P, Álvarez-Macías A, De Rosa G, Pacelli C, José N, Barile VL. Dairy Buffalo Behavior: Calving, Imprinting and Allosuckling. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:2899. [PMID: 36359022 PMCID: PMC9658508 DOI: 10.3390/ani12212899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal behavior, in water buffalo and other ruminants, is a set of patterns of a determined species, including calving, imprinting, and suckling. This behavior is mainly triggered by hormone concentration changes and their interactions with their respective receptors in the brain, particularly oxytocin. These chemical signals also influence mother-young bonding, a critical process for neonatal survival that develops during the first postpartum hours. Currently, dairy buffalo behavior during parturition has rarely been studied. For this reason, this review aims to analyze the existing scientific evidence regarding maternal behavior in water buffalo during calving. It will address the mechanisms of imprinting, maternal care, and allosuckling strategies that may influence the survival and health of calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Andrea Bragaglio
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Research Centre for Engineering and Food Processing, Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, Italy
| | - Ada Braghieri
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Fabio Napolitano
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Department of Livestock Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), FESC, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Adolfo Álvarez-Macías
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Giuseppe De Rosa
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Corrado Pacelli
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Nancy José
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Vittoria Lucia Barile
- Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA) (CREA), Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
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Study on Various Luteal Characteristics Using Doppler Ultrasonography for Early Pregnancy Diagnosis in Nili-Ravi Buffaloes. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:3896068. [PMID: 35978642 PMCID: PMC9377916 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3896068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The objective of current study was to assess the trend in various luteal characteristics viz luteal size (LS), plasma progesterone (P4) concentration, and luteal blood flow (LBF) using color Doppler imaging (CDI) and power Doppler imaging (PDI) modes in pregnant and nonpregnant Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Lactating, cyclic, and healthy Nili-Ravi buffaloes (n = 09) without any reproductive abnormality were selected in present study. Buffaloes were synchronized using Ov-Synch, and fixed-time artificially insemination was performed (day = 0). Pregnancy was diagnosed on 30-day post-AI using B-mode ultrasonography based on presence or absence of embryonic heartbeat. Ovaries of all animals were scanned from day 5 till 21 post-AI using both B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography to measure LS and LBF. After each ovarian ultrasound examination, blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture to determine plasma P4 concentration. According to results, LBF using CDI and PDI was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in pregnant buffaloes on days 13 and 15 post-AI, respectively. The mean LS and plasma P4 concentration did not differ (P ≥ 0.05) between pregnant and nonpregnant animals until day 15 post-AI. However, a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was noticed for both on day 17 and onwards. It is concluded that LBF is a more sensitive luteal character as compared to LS and P4 for earlier pregnancy diagnosis in Nili-Ravi buffaloes when ascertained through CDI.
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