Incidence of postpartum anestrus among buffaloes in and around Jabalpur

Aim: Postpartum anestrus is one of the major problems in buffalo reproduction; the knowledge of its incidence may be helpful to adopt preventive and therapeutic measures for improvement of reproductive efficiency and thus production of the dairy animals. Materials and Methods: To investigate the incidence of postpartum anestrus, a total 6105 Murrah and upgraded Murrah buffaloes were surveyed in and around the district of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Among these, 4708 and 1397 buffaloes were surveyed in organized and unorganized rearing system, respectively. Among the organized farms, 2050 and 2658 buffaloes were observed in good and moderate managemental condition, respectively. Anestrus and sub estrus were confirmed by per rectal examination and serum progesterone estimation. Results: The overall incidence of anestrus was recorded 29.12%. The incidence of anestrus was recorded 25.84% and 40.15 %, respectively, in organized and unorganized rearing system, and among organized farms it was 22.58% and 28.36% in good and moderate managemental conditions, respectively. The incidence of anestrus in summer, rainy, and winter season was found to be 66.28%, 22.51%, and 11.25%, respectively. Based on per-rectal examination and serum progesterone concentration, 60.58 per cent buffaloes were classified as true anestrus, 20.88 per cent as sub estrus, and 18.52 per cent anestrus due to other unknown conditions. Conclusion: These results indicated that the incidence of anestrus, especially true anestrus, was higher at farmer's door. Moreover, the incidence of anestrus was higher in summer season and hence appropriate preventive and or therapeutic measures as per the type of anestrus need to be undertaken.