Seasonality of calving in Nili-Ravi buffaloes, purebred Sahiwal and crossbred cattle in Pakistan

Abstract

Pattern of calving was documented in Nili-Ravi buffaloes and compared with Sahiwal cattle and Sahiwal (x Friesian or Jersey) crossbreds. Lactation records of 9,174, 22,499 and 656 of Nili-Ravi buffaloes, Sahiwal and crossbred cattle in Punjab province of Pakistan were used for comparison. Punjab province of Pakistan has harsh summers and mild winters. Pattern of calving in first and later parity was different in Sahiwal cows but similar in buffaloes and crossbreds. Calving frequency was highest in January (13.2%) for Sahiwal and in August for buffaloes (17.8%) and crossbred cattle (15.2%). Lowest calvings were recorded in October for Sahiwal (5.2%) and in April for buffaloes (2.5%) and crossbred cattle (3.5%). Winter (January-February) is, thus, the calving season for Sahiwals and Autumn (August-September) is the calving season of buffaloes and crossbred cattle. Calving pattern in crossbreds was more similar to buffaloes than to Sahiwals. Seasonality of calving index (1– ratio of number of calvings in month with fewest calvings and number of calvings in month with most calvings) was 86, 60 and 77 in buffaloes, Sahiwal cattle and crossbred cattle, respectively. Comparison of first and later parity animals indicated that first parity Sahiwals were more seasonal in calving than in their later parity (82 vs 53) while later parity crossbreds were more seasonal calvers than first parity crossbreds (86 vs 59). In buffaloes on the other hand, first and later parity animals had more pronounced but similar seasonality of calving (88 vs 85). Seasonality of calving is more pronounced in buffaloes than Sahiwal and crossbred cattle in Pakistan.