PUBERTY AGE AND BODY WEIGHT OF THE WATER BUFFALO HEIFERS

The evolution of WATER buffalo breeding is related to reproduction of water buffaloes and maintaining and increase of their population. A problem is the delayed maturation of the body and the occurrence of puberty. This aim of this study was to clarify and confirm issues such as age (in days) and body weight (in kg) during the puberty. It has been performed on the basis of 71 water buffalo heifers observed. Within our surveys, the age of puberty of young buffalo cows of the breed known as Bulgarian Murrah varies from 404.3 ± 3.9 to 543.2 ± 19.5 days, the mean body weight being 359.6 ± 13.3 kg. The age of the start of puberty (i.e. the maturity) is been affected by the season of birth. Most (70.9%) of water buffalo heifers exhibit signs of puberty occurrence between September and December, included. This can be explained by the shorter daylight time that results in higher levels of melatonin in animals during this season and the positive impact of indoleamine on their sexual centrum and reproductive function.