الفهرس 
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Abstract
v. SUMMARY
The present study was carried out at Mehallet Mousa
Experimental Station, Animal Production Research Institute.
Ministry of Agriculture, during the period from April 1991 until
February, 1992.
A number of 22 pregnant buffalo in different parities (in
mid gestation) were used in this study to investigate the effect
of two levels of feeding (100 % and 120 % of animals total energy
and protein requirements), during pre-partum period (last five
months of gestation) and two feeding levels (100 % and 120 %),
during post-partum period (first 20 weeks of lactation), on
productive and reproductive traits of Egyptian buffalo, i.e. live
body weight changes of dams, calf birth weight. placenta weight,
milk yield and milk composition, feed intake and feed efficiency,
post-partum uterine involution, first ovulation, first oestrus
after parturition, days open and number of services per
conception, blood plasma glucose, urea, chol est erol . prote in,
albumin, globulin and blood plasma thyroxin hormone.
Animals were divided into two groups fed individually
according to their body weight on co-op concentrate mixture in
addition to rice straw and berseem hay during pregnancy period.
After parturition all animals were fed the same rations without
berseem hay. The concentrate: roughage ratio was about 70: 30
on SE basis.
Results obtained could be summarized as follows.
-----~ ------ ._----
Live body weiqht cha~
Buffalo fed 120 % pre-partum level gained on the average
81.43 Kg compared with 74.05 for those fed 100 %. These
differences were not significant. Animals in second, fifith.
sixth, seventh and eighth parities gained 62.23, 75.20,
78.64, 73.67 and 99.56 Kg, respectively, during pre-partum
period. The differeoces between parities were siqnificant
(p<O.OSl. Durinq 2-20 weekS after ca1vinq, buffalo fed 120 % of
post-partum level feeding gained on average 36.32 Kg, while those
feed 100 % level gained 34.07 Kg. The differences were not
significant. There were significant differences between parities
in body weight gain.
Calf birth weiqht
Calf birth weight on average, was 6.97 % of their dam postpartum
weight. Calf birth weight increased as pre-partum feeding
level increased and as parity advanced. Buffalo fed 120 % prepartum
level gave calves of heavier birth weight (42.21 Kg) than
those fed 100 % level of feedinq (38.98 Kq). Male calves had a
highly significant birth weight (42.01 Kg) compared with female
calves (37.03 Kg).
E.lacenta weight
Placenta weiqht, on the average, represent 0.72 % of their
dam post-partum weight. The average placenta weight for buffalo
fed 120 % pre-partum level was 4.40 Kg, while it was 4.01 Kq for
animals fed 100 % level of feeding. Placenta containing male and
female calves were similar (4.01 Kg).
Milk yield and milk-uomp~~tion
Buffalo fed 120 % pre-partum feeding level produced 1001.89
Kg. mi lk compared wi th 962.65 Kg for those fed 100 % level,
during the first 5 months of lactation. Total milk yield
increased as parity advanced. The differences due to pre-partum
feeding level and parity were not significant.
Pre-partum feeding and parity had no significant effect on
m i lk fat, prate in, lactose, total sol ids and sol ids not fat
percentages. Also, differences due to post-partum feeding levels
on milk yield and milk composition were not significant.
Eeed intake-and feed.-.efficiencs
Dry matter intake and starch equivalent intake were
increased as pre- or post-partum feeding levels increased or as
parity advanced, and the differences were almost, significant.
Buffalo fed 120 % post-partum level were more efficient in
converting feed into mi lk, than those fed 100 % post-partum I
level.
post-partum reproductive traits
1- post-partum complete uterine involution: The uterus of
the buffalo fed 120 % pre-partum level had 30.7 days to involute,
whi Ie those fed 100 % pre-partum level had 34.8 days. The
differences due to pre-partum feeding levels were significant
(P<0.05). Buffalo fed 120 % post-partum feeding level had 32.1
days compared with 35.5 days for those fed 100 % post-partum
level to involute the uterus. The average interval from
parturition to complete uterine involution of the uterus almost
decreased with successive pregnancies from the second to eighth
parities. The differences due to effects of post-partum feeding
levels and parity were not significant.
,2-Firs-t...post-p..ar.obv1umlation:. Buffalo fed 120 % pre-partum
feeding level had shorter interval to first ovulation (36.9 days)
compared with 47.0 days for those fed 100 % pre-partum.feeding
level. The differences were significant (P<0.05).
Buffalo fed 120 % post-partum feeding level recorded 41.S
days compared with 42.0 days for those fed 100 % post-partum
level for the interval to post-partum first ovulation.
Post-partum feeding levels and pari ty had no significant
effect on the interval from parturition to first ovulation.
3- First post-partum oestrus: The average length of the
interval from partur it ion to first estrus was 60.6 days f oi
buffalo fed 120 % pre-partum feeding level compared with 74.:
days for those fed 100 % pre-partum feeding level.
Buffalo fed 120 % post-partum level had shorter intervaJ
from parturition to first estrus (66.3 days) compared with 68.’
days for those fed 100 % post-partum level.
The effects due to pre-partum feeding levels wer,
significant (P<0.05). while the effect of post-partum feedin’
level and parity were not significant.
4- Days open: The average days open for buffalo fed 120 ~
pre-partum feeding was 70.4 days compared with 93.8 days fa
those fed 100 % pre-partum feeding level. The differences wer
significant (P<O.01). Days open were nearly similar for buffal
fed 120 % and 100 % post-partum feeding level (82.a vs 82.3
days). The effects due to post-partum feeding levels and parity
were not significant
5- Number Qf service~ BuffalQ fed 120 % pre-partum feeding
level required less services to cQncieve than those fed 100 %
level (1.4 vs. 1.7 services/conception).
Number of serv ices per concept ion for buffalo fed 120 %
post-partum feeding level were 1.5 services, while they were 1.6
services for buffalo fed 100 % post-partum feeding level. The
differences in number of services per conception due to pre- and
post-partum feeding levels and parity were not significant.
Metabolic profile
1- Blood plasma glucose: Buffalo fed 100 % and 120 % levels
of pre-partum feeding showed the highest plasma gloucos
e
concentration at 2 week before partutition.
Whereas r wi th post-partum feeding levels the highest plasma
glQucose concentrations were recorded during the first 2-weeks of
lactation.’ . - ”,
Differences due to effect Qf pre- and post-partum feeding
levels and parity were al.ost not significant.
2- Blood plasma urea; No consistent trend was observed for
plasma urea concentration during pre- and post-partum periods.
Generally, buffalo fed 120 % pre and post-partum feeding levels
maintained higher plasma urea concentration than thQse fed 100 %
levels, and the differences due to feeding levels were almost non
significant.
Differences in plasma urea concentration due to parity
effects were not significant.
3- Blood plas~holesterol: GenerallY, plasma cholesterol
concentration for 100 % and 120 % pre-partum levels tended to
decrease as pregnancy advanced at the week of calving. The
differences in plasma cholesterol concentratopn due to parity
effects during pre- and post-partum periods were not significant.
The effect of post-partum feeding levels on plasma cholesterol
concentration during the first B-weeks of lactation were
\’\et
tsignificant.’
!=Bl~od plas~a-pIO±~ Plasma protein concentration during
the pre-partum period varied between 7.25 and B.13 gm/100 ml for
both 100 and 120 % pre-partum feeding levels 6The highest values
of plasma protein concentration 9.10 and 9.16 gm/100ml were
attained at 6-week post-partum for 100 % and 120 % feeding
levels. The differences due to effects of pre- and post-partum
feeding levels and parity on plasma protein concentration during
both pre- and post-partum periods were not significant.
100 % and 120 % feeding levels during pre and post-partum periods
5- Blood plasma albumin: Plasma albumin concentration for
were almost similar
The differences due to
effects of pre- and post-partum feeding levels and parity on
plasma albumin concentration were not significant.
6- Blood plasma globulin:
Buffalo fed high (120 %) prepar
tum feeding level showed higher plasma globulin concentration
than those fed normal (100%) feeding level at only 2 week
pre-parturn. Whereas, buffalo fed high (120 %) post-parturn feeding
level snowed higher plasma globulin concentration
’2.~
than those fed normal (100%) post part urn feeding level at/4 week
post-partum. However, plasma globulin concentration varied
between 3.04 and q·.32 gm/100 ml during both pre- and post-partum
periods. The differences between two levels of pre- and postpar
tum feeding levels and parity were almost not significant.
Plaama thYI”-Qxin h.o.rm..one..U’.4l..:. No consistent trend was
observed for plasma T4 concentration during pre- and post-partum
periods. Differences due to effects of pre and post-partum
feeding level on plasma T4 were almost non significant, while
parity showed almost a reverse trend.