Productive and Reproductive Performance of Nili Ravi Buffaloes at the Nikawaratiya Farm in the Intermediate Zone of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the production capacity and reproduction parameters of Nili-Ravi buffaloes at the National Livestock Development Board farm, Nikaweratiya, Sri Lanka. Data on age at first calving, lactation length, dry period, total milk yield, calving interval, gestation length, lactation number, birth weight and calving to service period were collected for the period of 1990–2010 and analyzed using the statistical package SAS 6.12. The estimated LS mean value for production traits of lactation milk yield, lactation length, calving interval and birth weight were 1612.54 kg/lac, 288.46 days, 12.94 months and 30.29 Kg, respectively. The raw means of age at first calving, calving to service period, gestation period and dry period were 49.27±08.14 months, 138.32±54.46 days, 309.92±25.37 days and 77.97±29.24 days, respectively. Milk yield was significantly influenced by age at first calving, lactation length, birth weight and season of calving. The lactation length was significantly influenced only by lactation number. Calving interval was significantly influenced by season of calving, dry period and lactation length. But birth weight was significantly influenced only by sex of calves.