Analysis of association between various fertility indicators and production traits in Mehsana buffaloes

Female fertility in domestic animals in India has exhaustively suffered owing to indiscriminate breeding with single objective of increasing milk production. First lactation data on 7782 Mehsana buffaloes sired by 184 bulls maintained under field progeny testing programme at Dudhsagar Research and Development Association, Dudhsagar Dairy, Mehsana, over a period of 24 years were used for study of fertility traits viz. days open, first to successful service period (FTSS) and daughter pregnancy rate (DPR) and production traits viz. first lactation milk yield (FLMY), first lactation fat yield (FLFY) and average fat percentage (AFP). The voluntary waiting period (VWP) was standardised based on the higher estimates for FLMY and FLMY per unit first calving interval. VWP for Mehsana buffaloes was standardised as 63 days after first calving and consequently DPR of Mehsana buffalo was also estimated as 31%. Fertility traits were further evaluated in terms of production traits. Regression analysis revealed that the increase in 1 kg FLFY and 100 kg FLMY led to the increase of First Service Period by 0.013 days and decrease in the DPR by 1.89%, respectively. Increase in milk yield led to increase in FTSS. However, for each 100 kg increase in fat yield and 1% increase in AFP, there is increase in DPR by 0.08% and 0.051%, respectively. Based on the present findings, it may be recommended to have a breeding programme which give due weightage to both production and fertility traits.