Herd Management Practices in Water Buffalo Enterprises in Amasya Province: Feeding, Milking and Health Protection

Abstract

The research is based on face-to-face survey data conducted with 69 producers who are members of the Amasya Province Breeding Buffalo Breeders Association. According to the survey results, the most common roughages produced by the buffalo farm owners are silage and alfalfa by 26.1%, vetch by 20.3% and alfalfa and vetch by 10.1%. The most commonly used roughages are hay, dry clover, hay and silage (36.1%). Buffalo breeders generally prefer to reduce their costs by producing their own roughage (65.2%). Breeders mostly use factory feed as concentrated feed in the feeding of buffaloes, and 59.4% of breeders obtain factory feed from factories. Feeding systems consist of a combination of feeding and pasture use (100%). Buffaloes are usually fed twice a day (72.5%) and 56.5% of this feeding is done before milking. Buffaloes are mostly given less than 5 kg of concentrate feed per day (68.1%). Buffaloes are usually taken to pasture in April (85.5%) and taken back to the barn in November (71%). It was observed that silage was made in 44.9% of the holdings, while silage was not made in the others. Milking of buffaloes is usually done twice a day (68.1%), udder cleaning before milking is performed by 50.7%, and udder cleaning after milking is generally not performed (91.3%). 92.8% of the milk produced is sold, and milk is mostly stored in plastic drums and buckets (56.5%). In terms of herd management, non-breeding females are generally sold after 36 months (95.7%). In terms of health, the majority of the buffaloes (95.7%) call a private veterinarian in case of illness. Diarrhea (56.5%) is the most common disease and in case of illness, a private veterinarian is often called (95.7%). Heifers are usually inseminated between 20 and 30 months of age (89.9%). According to the survey results, calf deaths are rare (1.4%), and the most common disease is diarrhea (56.5%).