REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF EGYPTIAN BUFFALO HEIFERS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH YEAST CULTURE (GASTUR NATURE): 2· LIVE BODY WEIGHTS AND AGES AT PUBERTY, FIRST SERVICE AND CONCEPTION | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 2, Volume 31, Issue 6, June 2006, Page 3375-3387 PDF (4.05 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2006.235498 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| H. B. About-Eta,1; Sh. A. Gabr2; M. A. Abdet-Latif1; A. E. Abdet-Khatek3 | ||||
| 1Anim. Prod. Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Ministry of Agriculture | ||||
| 2Anim. Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Tanta University. | ||||
| 3Anim. Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Mansoura University. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| A total of 18 Egyptian female buffalo heifers aging 7-11 months and having 197±12.0 kg LBW were divided randomly into three similar groups balanced for LBW and age (6 animals in each). The main experimental basal diet was formulated from concentrate feed mixture (CFM), berseem hay (BH) and rice straw (RS). Buffalo heifers in the control group (G1) were fed CFM, BH and RS (control diet), while those in the 1s1 and 2nd treated Group (G2 and G3) were fed the control diet supplemented with 20 and 30 g yeast culture (YC) per head/day, respectively. Detection of oestrous activity of heifers was performed at the 12th months of age using infertile buffalo bull. The date of or. set of the 151 oestrus was recorded for each heifer and considered as indicator for achieving puberty age if concentration of progesterone was ~1 nglml in blood plasma. Heifers reaching puberty (the 151 oestrus) with LBW between 340->350 kg were naturally mating. Results revealed that heifers at puberty were insignificantly heavier in G2 by about 6 kg and lighter in G3 by about 11 kg than those in the control group (G1), being 339, 345 and 328 kg for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. At 1s1 service, heifers in G2 and G3 were insignificantly heavier by about 8 and 7 kg than in G1, respectively (353.7, 361.5 and 360.2 kg, for G1, G2 and G3, respectively). At conception, heifers in G2 and G3 were insignificantly heavier by about 4 and 8 kg than those in G1, respectively (359.8, 363.5 and 371.3 kg, respectively). All heifers in G3 (100%) were conceived at 350-400 kg LBW and 84% of heifers in G2 and 67% in G1 were conceived at the same L8W category. Puberty age was insignificantly earlier by about 31 days in G2 and significantly (P>0.05) earlier by about 75 days in G3 than in G 1 (529.2, 498.5 and 454.7 days for G 1, G2 and G3, respectively). At 1 st service, average age was insignificantly earlier by about 29 and 55 days in G2 and G3 than in G1, respectively (549.0, 520.2 and 495.7 days for G1, G2 and G3, respectively). Average age at conception was significantly (P>0.05) earlier by about 9.5% in G3 than G1 and was insignificantly earlier by about 6.5% in G2 than in G1 (560.2, 523.7 and 506.8 days for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. On the basis of the foregoing results the present study indicated the beneficial effects of yeast culture (Gustor nature) during pre-pubertal ages on reducing age of buffalo heifers at puberty, 1st service and conception in particular for diets supplemented with 30 g/head/day. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Buffalo heifers; weight; age; puberty; 1st service; conception | ||||
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