Assessment of the influence of the body condition score of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) on the physiological state and quality of oocytes of ovaries

• Main Author: Merculio, Jay Gonzales
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Buffaloes; Buffaloes—Physiology; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3744; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10582&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

The body condition score (BCS) of six swamp and 24 riverine buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) was evaluated in terms of its influence on the physiological condition, weight and size and density of surface follicles, and quality of aspirated oocytes per left and right ovaries collected immediately post-slaughter from two slaughterhouses in Manila and Bulacan. The buffaloes comprised four (13.3%) each of BCS1 (emaciated) and BCS2 (thin); 12 (40.0%) BCS3 (average); eight (26.7%) BCS4 (fat); and two (6.7%) BCS5 (obese). The ovarian weight and size corresponding to the BCSs revealed heavier mean weight and larger ovaries in obese buffaloes relative to BCS2 to 4. This however, did not translate into higher surface follicle density and improved oocyte retrieval in BCS5. While eight of the ovaries were in the luteal in BCS2-4, the BCS1 and 5 buffaloes had ovaries all in the follicular phase. There was significant and direct correlation between the weight of ovaries and follicle density (p