Postpartum ovarian activity, uterine involution and fertility in indigenous buffaloes at a selected village location in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

Reproductive events were monitored over a period of 30 months in a sample of 55 indigenous (Lanka) buffalo cows belonging to five farmers selected at random in a specific village in the dry zone low-country region of Sri Lanka. The animals were maintained under the existing traditional methods of extensive grazing management and low-intensity utilization for milk and draught power in a crop-livestock system. Annual calving rate was 87.2%, with 82.4% of all calvings occurring between December and March (peak calving season). Involution of the uterus, based on rectal palpation, was completed at an interval of (mean ± SD) 32.9 ± 8.2 days post-partum. The majority (70.8%) of first services postpartum were recorded between February and April. The interval from calving to first service was 57.3±49.2 days for 80 animals which calved during the peak calving season and 156.2 ± 95.6 days for eight animals calving outside the peak season (overall 66.4 ± 61.4 days, n = 88). The intervals to uterine involution and first service were correlated (r=0.53, P < 0.01) and both were significantly influenced by month of calving, but not by age or parity of the cow. The interval from calving to palpation of the first corpus luteum was 52.3 ± 16.8 days, and to the first elevation of progesterone above 0.5 ng/ml of fat-free milk was 54.9 ± 17.9 days.

Of the 36 cases where complete progesterone profiles and clinical data were available, first services were recorded in 27 (75%) before palpation of a corpus luteum or elevation of progesterone after calving, and conception to this service was confirmed in 24 (88.9%). Elevation of progesterone preceded first service in seven (19%); the resultant luteal phases were short in four and normal in three. Overall conception rate to first service was 77.7% and the number of services per conception was 1.29. The calving to conception intervals ranged from 23 to 502 days (mean 71.5 ± 66.2, mode 41–60, n = 82) and the calving intervals from 329 to 816 days (mean 384.9 ± 62.9, mode 351–370, n=79).

These findings confirm that Lanka buffaloes are capable of maintaining high fertility under certain traditional systems of management. The major cause of long calving intervals was prolonged postpartum acyclicity, which occurred mainly in animals calving outside the peak calving season.

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