Effects of the season and number of calving on buffaloes milk production

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the season and number of calving on average milk production and persistence of lactation. Fifty hundred and ninety one lactation of buffaloes, milked once a day and bred on pasture conditions were analyzed. The animals were allocated according season (off breeding season = Goff and breeding season = Gon) and number of calving (first FC, second = SC and more than two calving = MC). Data was analyzed by ANOVA. Average milk production was higher on Gon than Goff, and the persistence of lactation was short on Gon than Goff. FC showed lower average milk production than SC and MC that did not differing about. The persistence of lactation was similar among FC, SC and MC. The results showed that on pasture condition, calving on off breeding season results in lower average milk production but in higher persistence of lactation. It is possible that, buffaloes during the off breeding season had higher disposability of pasture that guarantee higher persistence of lactation and buffaloes on breeding season calved with better corporal condition that guarantee higher average milk production. The lower average milk production of first calving buffaloes was according to the expected.