Reproductive Characteristics of Buffaloes: A Review

Interest in buffalo breeding has increased, due to certain advantages in relation to cattle breeding. The objective of this article was to review the reproductive biological characteristics of buffaloes. Buffaloes have their peculiarities regarding the reproductive characteristics, the females are seasonal polyestrous breeders of short days, the puberty’s buffalo is reached in ages more than in the bovine, the detection of the estrus is more difficult because of the estrus it happens at dawn and the females of buffalo have few physiological changes producers have difficulty detecting estrus. The gestation period varies between 300 and 320 days. Males have smaller external reproductive organs and less intense sexual behavior in relation to cattle. Buffalo females exhibit reproductive differences such as the hyperpigmented vulva and smaller and lighter, more rigid and tortuously inner structures with more muscle tone. There are some advantages in the creation of buffaloes were evidenced, such as their rusticity and adaptation to areas that would be unsuitableto cattle production, besides counting on products such as milk and meat of good quality. Several protocols of oestrus and ovulation synchronization have been adopted, to improve reproductive efficiency. These protocols have resulted in a pregnancy rates increase of 30% to 50%. It is concluded that buffalo breeding has space within the animal production system, especially in areas that would be suitable for the breeding of other ruminant species.