Production performance indicators used at Nili Ravi buffalo farm of ICAR-CIRB, Sub Campus, Bir Dosanjh, Nabha (Punjab) since its inception

The various production performance indicators like total lactation milk yield, standard lactation milk yield, wet average, herd average, age at first calving, service period, calving interval, dry period, conception rate and total milk production since the inception of the Nili Ravi buffalo farm at Nabha (Punjab) are presented in this communication. Considerable improvement was reported in the total lactation milk yield and standard lactation milk yield of the Nili Ravi herd. The wet average was the lowest (4.55 Kg) in the first year of establishment of the farm i.e., 1988-89 and the highest (8.52 Kg) in the year 2017-18. The herd average was the lowest (2.81 Kg) in the second year of establishment of the farm i.e., 1989-90 and the highest (6.22 Kg) in the year 2015-16. The wet average and herd average have almost doubled since the inception of the farm. The highest service period of 312 d was recorded in the year 1991-92 and the lowest service period of 112 d was observed in the year of 2014-15 with an overall average service period 178 d. Inconsistent results were reported in the AFC as the improvement in the AFC seems to be non-significant. The longest calving interval of 622 d was reported in the year 1991-92 and the shortest calving interval of 420 d was recorded in the year of 2014-15 with an overall average CI of 484 d. The highest dry period of 243 d in the year 1991-92 and the lowest dry period of 131 d in the year 2000-01 with overall average dry period of 165 d was reported. It was concluded that there was considerable improvement in the production performance indicators (total lactation milk yield, standard lactation milk yield, wet average, herd average, service period, calving interval, dry period and total milk production) during 1988-89 to 2017-18. The wet average, herd average and total milk production has almost doubled since the establishment of the farm at CIRB, sub campus, Nabha. The conception rate remained almost poor during the entire period.

Ram Singh, AK Saini