A total of 156? normal lactation records extending over 20 years (1985-2004)
of Egyptian buffalo cows and the progeny of 131 sires, located at three farms ie.
Mehallet Mousa, Sids and Gimmeza, Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry
of Agriculture, Egypt, were used in the present study.
Data of total milk yield (TMY), Lactation period (LP), dry period (DP), days
open (DO) and calving interval (Ci) were analysed according to the effect of sire, farm,
season and year of calving, parity and age at first calving (AFC). Data were analysed
using Mixed Model Least Squares and Maximum Likelihood Computer Program of
Harvey (1990).
The results obtained are as follows:
1. The overall means of total milk yield (TMY), Lactation period (LP), dry period
(DP), days open (DO) and calving interval (CI), were 1444 Kg, 223 day. 243 day.
156 day and 465 day, respectively.
2. Farm had highly significant effect on (TMY and LP), while non Significant effect on
DP, DO and Cl.
3. Sire had highly significant effect on the examined productive and reproductive
traits.
4. Season and year of calving had highly significant effect on the examined
productive and reproductive traits, calving during Winter and Spring season had
the highest TMY and LP. While, animals calving during Summer season had the
lowest ones when compared to those calving in other season.
5. Parity had highly significant effect on all studied traits. Each of TMY and LP tend
to increase as parity progress till the 5‘h parity and then decreased. While DP, DO
and Cl tend to decrease with the advance in parity.
8 All partial linear and quadratic regression coefficients of TMY. LP, DP. DO and Cl
on each of AFC and DO were significant (P<0.01), except the linear regression
coefficient of DO on AFC it was non significant.
7. The obtained results indicated to the role of the managerial level as well as the
appropriate environmental conditions, i.e. (better feeding, better management,
reduction of heat stress, better control of disease including vaccination
programmes and wide spread milk recording and testing systems) to have great
impacts on milk production and reproductive traits of the Egyptian buffaloes
raised under the government farms in Egypt.