علاقة حجم القطيع مع بعض الصفات الإنتاجية و طول مدة الحياة لدى عينة من الجاموس المحلي في محافظة النجف

Abstract EN

This study was conducted on the three native buffaloes aggregations in Najaf governorate which were chosen 105 buffalo owners randomly, through field visiting to their herds, contained 4201 head of buffaloes ranging between 4 to 300 animal/owner, by using special questioner forms.

Buffalo were divided to categories according to their numbers to study this effect on total and average milk yield, lactation period besides the life time length of buffaloes in herd.

They used SAS program for statistical analysis for collected data.

Om AL-Khashim village found to have 77.57 % of total buffaloes in this study.

The effect of total buffalo grouping classes (herd size) was a highly significant effect (P<0.01) on lactation period and life time while the effect was not significant on total milk production and average daily milk yield, lactation period was 198.96 ± 3.63 days in 3rd group (more than 50 head) in herd and lowest average was in 1st group (25 and less) 181.33 ± 1.98 days and recorded the biggest age for life time 17.87 ± 0.68 years (3rd group) and the lowest age for 1st group (less than 10) was 10.43 ± 0.48 years.

The highest total and average daily milk production were recorded in dairy buffaloes in 2nd group (11-20 head) and this were 1475.00 ± 134.42 and 7.61 ± 1.02 kg respectively than other two groups, while the 3rd group (more than 21 head) was exceeded in lactation period (200.47 ± 2.96 days) and lowest was in 1st group (less than 10 head) 180.36 ± 1.51 days and these difference was highly significant.

We find on increasing in length of life time in herd with increasing number of animals in herds for owners from 1st to 3rd group, and these are 10.96, 15.83 and 17.50 years respectively and these difference were significant (P<0.01).

So, it appeared that for heard size have a biggest important in productive characters for numbers of local buffaloes and their positive effect in life time length also.

So, we advice to do more studies for native buffalo for the effect of herd size on production and reproduction with the possibility to study the economical importance of best herd size for local condition.