The International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR)

is an international non governmental organization. The purpose of ICAR is to facilitate the extension and standardization of methods of recording animals. Special regulations are already in force for cattle (milk and beef), sheep and goats. ICAR organizes an international conference every second year which is attended by prople of the member countries(at present 40). Any country can apply for membership by adopting and satisfying the International Agreement of Recording Practices. From 23 to 28 June 1996, the 30th ICAR session took place in Veldhoven, Netherlands. During this conference a Working Group on Buffalo Recording was officially created. The group includes both research organizations and milk recording organizations of India, Pakistan, Egypt, Italy and Bulgaria. The group has met several times and has prepared a draft for an International Agreement for the Recording of Milk in Buffaloes which was submitted to the Board of ICAR for approval.

Proposal of International Agreement for the Recording of Milk performances in Buffaloes.

Prepared by the working Group on Buffalo Recording after the first series of meetings in veldhoven, from 24 to 26 June, 1996. Participants: B. Moioli (Italy) s> Galal (FAO Rome), K. Trivedi(India), R. Usmani (Pakistan), A.Abdel Aziz (Egypt), F. El-Kerabi(Egypt), R. Donald (Egypt) Tz. Peeva(Bulgaria), A Rosati(Italy), F. Miglior(Italy)

1. Milk Recording in Buffaloes Concerns:
	-milk yield produced in the lactation;
	-fat content (optional)
	-protein content(optional)

2. General Rules

2.1 Milk recording has to be carried out during the whole lactation;

2.2 standard lactation duration is established in 305 days (this figure is provisional until the participating countries carry out a survey in order to define the actual duratiuon of the lactation in the different countries). The duration of total lactation has to be indicated:

2.3 milk recording has to be carried out on all of the buffaloes of the herd;

2.4 lactation starts the day immediately after calving;

2.5 the first test day cannot be effected before the 7th day after calving;

2.6  buffaloes can be elgible for milk recording under the following three milking systems:
	a) total milking
	b) suckling for milk letdown
	c) partial suckling. In the case of b) and c), individual milk            records should be marked accordingly.

2.8 each test must be effected on all milkings in the 24 hours, registering the time of the day (hours) and the amount of milk;
2.9 milk yield can be expressed in kg. or in liters;

2.10 milk is weighed on scales sensitive to at least 250 grams or vilumetrically with calibrated measures;

2.11 in case fat and/or protein contents are measured, samples should be taken from the buffaloes of the herd for the whole lactation. Samples may be taken by any of the following methods:
	a) a sample for each milking
	b) a proportional composite sample for all milkings within the 24              hour test period;
	c) alternate (i.e. am/pm) samples on consecutive sampling days;

2.13 lactation yield is calculated using the Fleishmann method;

2.14 total fat and protein yields (kg) are calculated in the same way as lactation yields;

2.15 average fat or protein percentages for the whole lactation are calculated by deviding total fat or protein yields (kg)X 100 by the total milk yield (kg).