Buffalo farming in Sannio Beneventano area: productive and feeding issues

The introduction of twenty pregnant buffalo cows in a dairy cattle farm of Benevento province was used as case study of farm diversification. For the whole lactation period, milk traits and reproductive performances were assessed monthly. Sensory properties of mozzarella cheese at 12 and 36 h of storage were assessed twice at 1 week interval. Sensory data were subjected to ANOVA with assessor (10), replication (3), batch of production (1° vs. 2° batch), time after production (12 vs. 36 h), and the interactions as factors. In order to verify the suitability of locally produced forages for buffalo farming, from 35th to 235th day of lactation cows were allotted into two groups fed diets based either on maize silage or hays. Productive data were analysed by a mixed model for repeated measures including the effects of diet, time and the interaction diet*time. The effect of diet on BCS and reproductive data were analysed by one-way-ANOVA. No significant differences between the two dietary groups were observed. Therefore, all parameters are expressed as overall means. Length of lactation was shorter than the standard value of 270 d: 253.5±75.9 d. Milk yield was 1,546±622 kg/head/lactation, percent milk fat and protein were 8.64±0.83 and 4.43±0.32 %, respectively. Milk yield was below the mean of buffalo cows raised in Campania and lower than the yield of the same cows in the previous lactation completed in the farm of origin (2.463±632 kg/head/lactation). These poor results are probably due to mismanagement practices, since the body condition was scored as satisfactory. The calving interval was 486.5±120.2 d, longer than the average value of 400 d, most likely as instrumental insemination was unsuccessfully used. Sensory properties of mozzarella were quite stable and did not change after 24 h of storage (P>0.05 for most of the attributes). Nevertheless, the sensory profile largely varied between the two batches of production indicating that the cheese-making technology was inadequate to obtain consistent cheese quality. Therefore, expanding buffalo farming outside the traditional areas has to be closely monitored in order to minimize detrimental effects on lactation length, increase insemination techniques efficiency and standardise cheese-making technology.