Mediterranean Italian buffalo young bull production. Note I: relationship among growing parameters.

The Italian Mediterranean buffalo is mainly bred for milk production, but, because of its morphological characteristics, it can not be regarded as a milk type species; furthermore its performances in meat production can not be compared with those of meat type bovine breeds. The aim of this trial was to study the entity and the pattern of the daily weight gain (BWG) and the relationships between some growth parameters in two groups of fattening young bulls. The trial was carried out on 54 animals born in different farms and bred in the Co-operative society La Baronia (CE). The subjects were divided in groups A (n=29) and B (n=25), according to their body weight (BW) at 400 days (> and < 300 kg respectively in A and B groups) that was different because of a different diet fed since weaning. The subjects of both groups, during the trial, received the same diet (0.89 MFU/kg DM; 13.5 P/kg DM; forages: concentrates ratio 40:60) ad libitum. Analyses of correlation were carried out between the body weight (BW) at the beginning and at the end of the trial, the daily weight gain DWG) in birth to the beginning (BBT) and to the end of the trial (B-ET) and during the trial period (TP) (100-123 days). Differences between groups were analyzed by t Student’s test. 18.5% of buffalos showed DWG>1 kg after 400 days of age but less than 2% had the same DWG in the whole growing period. The young bulls which showed high BW at the end of the trial had high DWG in B-BT (r = 0.62; P< 0.01), throughout the TP R=0.35; P<0.01) and, hence, during the whole period (r=0.65; P<0.01). The older the calves at the beginning of the trial, the lower the DWGs during the whole growing period (r= -0.74; P<0.01), both in B-BT (r=- 0.69; P< 0.01) and during the TP (r=-0.36; P<0.01). Young bulls that had high DWG from birth to the end of the trial, grew more both fin B-BT (r=0.95; P<0.01) and during the TP (r=0.51; P<0.01). This last correlation was about half value of the previous one due the higher growth of animals of group B that, despite a lower DWG from birth to the beginning of the trial, had a compensatory offsetting increase during the trial period, that was similar to the other group (table 1). However, the offsetting DWG of the B group was not enough to override the BW difference with the A group (table 1) due to a restricted fed intake and/or growing ability that is peculiar of each subject and is also affected by the age. In fact, buffalos with the worst DWG during the trial also had lower DWG from birth to the trial, that were far from those of meat type bovine breeds and quite similar to what showed by the young bulls of a milk type bovine breed.