MILK PRODUCTION, MILK COMPOSITION AND MEAT PRODUCTION FROM BUFFALOES (BUFFALYPSO) IN TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES

Water buffaloes were imported into Trinidad from India at the beginning of the 19th century. Indian indentured labourers used the males to haul sugarcane and the cows to provide milk for the family. During the mid-19th century, selection and crossbreeding among the originally imported breeds began with a view to develop a specialized beef animal - now commonly referred to as Buffalypso. It meant ignoring the milk production potential of these animals. However, during the early 1990s it was decided to develop buffaloes in to a dualpurpose animal for milk and meat. To fulfill this objective, the Ministry of Agriculture established a small milking herd of about 15+ cows at its Aripo Livestock Station, which continued to expand in to the latter 1990s. There has been some level of inbreeding as the herd was closed to outside introductions. The management and feeding of the herd was of average level. Preliminary results indicated average milk yield of 3.09 kg/cow/day (once a day hand milking) with average lactation length of 192 days. Preliminary percent averages for milk composition were: 7.15 ± 2.47 for fat, 4.03 ± 1.24 for protein, 16.97 ± 3.38 for total solids, and 8.84 ± 1.29 for solids not fat. Results from a preliminary trial to determine optimum age/weight at slaughter, dressing percentage and weights of head, skin, feet, liver, digestive tract and blood as a percent of live weight at slaughter were also reported. Hot carcass yield ranged between 46.9 - 52.5% while 7-d chill carcass yield ranged between 41.9-47.6%). It is recommended that buffalo males should be slaughtered at about 400 kg live weight or when at least 20 mo old