A Study of Reproduction in Water Buffalo in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Abstract

Data were obtained on 1094 females and 859 males killed at an abattoir, and 135 females and 32 males shot in the field. The data indicated that cows calve during the late wet or early dry season, after a pregnancy of 10-11 months. Age at 1st conception averaged 28.5 months; puberty occurred at 14-19 months. Pregnancy rate was 76% for the abattoir sample; it was <5% for females aged less than or equal to 3 yr. Bulls were probably fertile for 8 months of the year, the infertile period occurring during the 2nd half of the dry season.