Characteristics of foodstuffs and diets, and the quanti-qualitative milk parameters of Mediterranean buffaloes bred in Italy using the intensive system - An estimate of the nutritional requirements of buffalo herds lactating or dry

The work concerned 20 buffalo farms situated in central Italy; these were divided in three categories: farms with low, intermediate and high milk yield (< 8, 8-9, > 9 kg/day). Samples of all forages (146) and feeds (134), used by the farms, were taken and analysed; the net energy was calculated and 258 lactating buffaloes were utilised for the experiment (approximate to 20% were primiparae). The milk yield was controlled monthly as also was the number of somatic cells. In 2258 milk samples, protein (N X 6.38), fat, pH and coagulation parameters were determined. To estimate the requirements of the lactating herd, regression equations were drawn up between the daily milk yield (X) and the daily net energy, crude protein, carbohydrates both structural and non-structural (Y) intake. The diets of the lactating buffaloes were administered ad libitum, a significant difference was evident relative to the energy level (0.82, 0.77, 0.73 Milk FU/kg DM; P < 0.05) and protein values (134.78, 113.96, 101.40 g/kg DM; P < 0.05) on farms of high, intermediate and low milk yield, respectively. The average daily intake of dry matter was 16.75 kg/head/day and significant differences resulted between farms of high and low milk yield (17.16 vs. 16.36 kg/head/day, P < 0.05). Considering the average daily yield, a difference has been observed between categories (10.46, 8.21, 7.27 kg/head/day; P < 0.01); the average value of milk protein was of 47.71 g/kg; significant differences emerged between the intermediate-high yield farms compared to those of low milk yield (47.97, 47.66 vs. 47.02 g/kg; P < 0.01); the highest fat values were found on the high yield farms, statistically different to those of intermediate yield but not to those of low yield (88.29, 88.26 vs. 84.69 g/kg; P < 0.01). The intermediate yield farms showed the highest somatic cell value (266.38 vs. 182.96, 193.22 n X 1000/ml; P < 0.01). Milk showing the best clotting ability was produced on the high yield farms (A(30) = 49.42 mm, r = 14.88 min, K-20 = 3.06 min). The requirements of dry buffalo herds were reported: dry matter intake of 10.61 kg/day, energy concentration of 0.63 Milk FU/kg DM and protein of 78.96 g/kg DM; for a milk yield which oscillates between 7 and 12 kg/day (average yield for the whole lactation period), the energy-protein concentrations vary from 0.74 to 0.89 Milk FU/kg DM and from 101.64 to 150.76 g/kg DM. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.