Buffalo breeding

programmes in India
K. R. Trivedi
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB),
National Dairy Development Board
(NDDB) in buffaloes in six districts in Gujarat
Dairy Herd Improvement Programme Actions
(DIPA)
in a few selected districts
where the infrastructure of artificial insemination
has been well established (1987).
Target Population
buffaloes
All six districts have proportionately
more buffaloes than cows
More than 70 percent
of households have animals.
Farmers have
one to five animals.
Farmers in villages live
near to each other
in conglomeration
they learn from each other
and often follow common
management practices.
more efficient converters of poor
quality roughage than cattle
manure
not used for
draught power.
also provide meat.
primarily kept
for milk production,
supplemented with green fodder
and concentrate.
maintained on crop residues
and agricultural by-products
Buffalo milk production
constitutes about 70 percent of the
total milk produced
in these districts.
Breeds Involved
Mehsana
Breed arose from crosses between Surti and Murrah breeds
Persistent milkers and regular calvers
Lactation yields of Mehsana buffaloes vary from 1 5002 000 litres.
Elite Mehsanabuffaloes produce more than 3 000 litres in one lactation.
Murrah
The most popular breed in India.
Extensively used for up-grading local non-descript buffaloes
The average lactation yields between 1 500 and 2 000 litres.
Non-descript buffaloes
Breeding Goals
High volume and high fat percent or high kilo fat production
The village level dairy cooperative societies pay the producers on the basis
of volume or weight and fat content.
A variety of sweets (with very high fat percentage) made
from milk, are considered valued products and are widely consumed.
Breeding Plan Design
progeny testing of buffalo bulls involving
farmers in selected villages
a straight-breeding strategy
a strategy of cross-breeding of local non-descript
buffaloes with the Murrah breed
Murrah breed x local non-descript buffaloes
(two generations)
straight-breeding in the resulting up-graded buffalo population
AI
Progeny tested bull
Recorded Population ( to 5 % of Total Population)
Set of 10-20 bulls
tested every year;
5 000 doses per bull
stored.
Test AI:
2000
doses
per
bull
Daughter
s born
250/bull
per bull
Daughter Records:
60-100 per bull
Rangking of bulls
200 Elite daughters
Selection of top two
bulls out of all bulls
put to test
Selection of bull calves:
30-40 every year
Bull Rearing Farm
Semen doses of selected
Bulls for AI
Base Population
Nominated Servicce
1 2
3
6
4
5
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10 11
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