Hussein Hassan Ali, Abdel-Raheem Sherief Mohamed
Theriogenology Department, Faculty Vet. Med, Assiut University, 71526, Assiut, Egypt.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2013 Apr;45(4):1001-6. doi: 10.1007/s11250-012-0324-9. Epub 2012 Dec 2.
The objective of the present experiment is to study the effect of feed intake restriction on the reproductive performance and pregnancy rate in Egyptian buffalo heifers. Thirty anestrus buffalo heifers were randomly divided into two equal groups. The low feed intake (LFI, n=15, 50 % restriction) group was fed a diet that consists of 3 kg concentrate, 1 kg wheat straw, and 3 kg fresh alfalfa, while the high feed intake (HFI, n=15) group was fed double the amount given to the LFI group for 4 months. All animals were weighed, transrectally examined, and visually checked for the signs of estrus, and blood samples were collected. Heifers in heat were mated with one fertile bull. The number of heifers showing estrus activity was 93.3 % in HFI vs. 20 % in LFI (P<0.01). Ovarian activity started earlier (P=0.03) in the HFI than LFI group. The weight at breeding, the diameter of the dominant follicle, number of heifers showing ovulations, number of services per conception, pregnancy rate, and overall mean of progesterone and estrogen concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.01) in the HFI than in the LFI group. The level of serum total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and calcium were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the HFI group. Restriction of the daily feed intake to 50 % from NRC recommendations impair reproductive performance in terms of increasing the age at first service and reducing the pregnancy rate in buffalo heifers. In conclusion, feed intake could be effective in improvement of reproductive performance in buffalo heifers and further studies should be done on large scale of buffaloes in this point.
本实验的目的是研究采食量限制对埃及水牛小母牛繁殖性能和妊娠率的影响。30头处于乏情期的水牛小母牛被随机分为两组，每组数量相等。低采食量（LFI，n = 15，采食量限制50%）组饲喂由3千克精饲料、1千克麦秸和3千克新鲜苜蓿组成的日粮，而高采食量（HFI，n = 15）组在4个月内饲喂量是LFI组的两倍。对所有动物进行称重、经直肠检查，并肉眼检查发情迹象，同时采集血样。发情的小母牛与一头能生育的公牛配种。HFI组表现出发情活动的小母牛数量为93.3%，而LFI组为20%（P<0.01）。HFI组的卵巢活动开始时间比LFI组更早（P = 0.03）。HFI组在配种时的体重、优势卵泡直径、排卵的小母牛数量、每次受孕的输精次数、妊娠率以及孕酮和雌激素浓度的总体平均值均显著高于LFI组（P<0.01）。HFI组血清总蛋白、白蛋白、球蛋白、葡萄糖、总胆固醇和钙的水平显著更高（P<0.05）。将每日采食量限制在NRC建议量的50%会损害繁殖性能，表现为水牛小母牛初配年龄增加和妊娠率降低。总之，采食量对改善水牛小母牛的繁殖性能可能有效，在这一点上应针对大量水牛进行进一步研究。
