Effects of weaning on the stress responses and productivity of water buffalo in different breeding systems: A review
| Autor: | H. Orozco-Gregorio, Gilberto Ballesteros-Rodea, Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime, L.A. de la Cruz-Cruz, P. Roldan-Santiago, Juan M. Vargas-Romero, M. Waytula, Ariel Marcel Tarazona-Morales |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
chemistry.chemical_classification Milk ejection General Veterinary Offspring animal diseases 0402 animal and dairy science food and beverages 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Biology 040201 dairy & animal science 03 medical and health sciences 030104 developmental biology Animal science medicine.anatomical_structure chemistry Water buffalo medicine Colostrum Weaning Animal Science and Zoology Udder Essential nutrient Productivity |
| Zdroj: | Livestock Science. 226:73-81 |
| ISSN: | 1871-1413 |
| Popis: | The objective of this paper is to review the existing literature regarding the advantages and disadvantages that different weaning practices have on the stress responses and productivity of water buffalo in different breeding systems. On farms where water buffalo are bred for milk production, early weaning favors the amount of milk produced, reduces breeding costs and improves the reproductive rate. However, this early separation may be associated with the restriction of colostrum and essential nutrients for water buffalo calves, which cannot be replaced by the use of milk replacers made for cattle. Consequently, colostrum restriction can lead to an increase in disease susceptibility, high mortality rates and compromises future performance. In addition, mothers show a more temperamental behavior, making milk ejection difficult due to the anatomical characteristics of the udder in this species. On the other hand, a continuous suckling system may be more beneficial to weight, immune status, and welfare of calves but may cause economic losses due to delayed postpartum estrus. The results in terms of susceptibility to stress are contradictory; some authors conclude that separation between mother and calves does not generate stress, as long as weaning is carried out within the first hours or days after birth (3–6 days old) after colostrum intake, compared to weaning at 45 and 90 days. However, these calves have greater difficulty in learning to eat on their own and show an increase in abnormal behaviors. The most commonly utilized form of weaning is abrupt. Behavioral and physiological indicators suggest that abrupt weaning is stressful for both the mother and the offspring. The protocols for performing gradual weaning seem to offer advantages in reducing stress in buffalo compared to abrupt weaning. On buffalo farms, calf management is one of the critical points of breeding, therefore, more studies are required to improve current breeding systems and promote the welfare of water buffalo calves. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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