1. ORIGIN:
Conflicting opinions were published. Some believe that buffaloes already existed in a wild state in Mesopotamia and from there spread to other countries. others say that the buffaloes were introduced to the marshes of southern Iraq from India 13 centuries ago. TYPES:
Indian BREEDS:
Iraqi CROSSINGS:
None GROUPS:
Marsh buffaloes 44% Town buffaloes 56% 2. GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS:
Marsh buffaloes are raised in the southern provinces. Town buffaloes are raised in towns in the middle part of Iraq. In the northern provinces there are some mountain buffaloes (smaller in size) 3. NUMBERS:
Number of buffaloes in Iraq has decreased in the last few years. 1986 141,450 1990 129,000 1993 98,700 DISTRIBUTION: 1988
AGE Males Females Total 1 yr 14,610 19,880 34,490 1-3 6,650 19,260 25,910 3 4,280 76,800 81,080 totals 25,540 115,940 141,480 4. NUMBER OF HERDS:
Most buffaloes are in private small stock herds. There is one research herd. Herd size in private herds ranges from 5 to 20 buffaloes. 5. DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL:3-7 yr females 7-8 yr female height at withers(cm) 145.8 cm 147.2 cm weight(kg) 900 kg chest girth 207.2 cm 223.8 cm body length 115.2 cm 128.0 cm color black or grey with white on forehead, legs,tail horns long, curved to the back 6. PRODUCTIVITY: n days lactation/year: in towns 254-289; in marshes 180 lactation milk yield (kg): in towns 1320-2500; in marshes 680-700 age at first calving: 36 average lactation number: 5 age at slaughter for young stock: 2-6 mo weight at slaughter for young stock : 130-150 kg is the calf suckling: yes how many months: 5-6 in all herds:yes are cows milked once a day: yes, when yield is low or medium are cows milked twice a day: high milk producers and at beginning of lactation where: in yards are cows milked by hand: yes are cows machine milked: no 7. FERTILITY n calves/year: two calves every 3 years season of calving: August to November 60% 8. HOUSING In villages people keep buffaloes in human dwellings mainly for safety. In towns, small farmers keep buffaloes in thatched or mud roofed sheds or in mud walled paddocks. During the day buffaloes are let out for feeding, roaming around or wallowing in ponds. In the marshlands buffaloes are kept in cottages When the flood is high, buffaloes stand on platforms made of papyrus, reeds and mud that rise above the water surface. Those platforms are big and cottages are built on them to house groups of buffaloes. Platforms can be pushed from one place to another in the marshes. 9. ARE BUFFALOES USED FOR draught: no 10. SOURCES OF FEED Buffaloes in the marshes swim far and wide for feeding on papyrus, reeds, common ash and other plants. When the flood is high their owners need to cut and collect these plants to feed their buffaloes on the platforms. Rice hulls are also given when available. Buffaloes in towns rarely graze natural pasture. They are mostly fed concentrates, green forage, straw and agriculture by products. 11. TOTAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION BY SPECIES adult total meat females milk mt. mt. buffaloes 115,940 25,000 32,660 cow 1,245,900 299,000 466.095 sheep 8,505,600 170,000 1,700,790 goat 1,303,500 70,000 819,780 Other products from buffaloes: leather 12. MILK RECORDING No, except in the research station where only 0.1% of the population is raised. 13. REPRODUCTION has each farmer his own bull: yes are bulls for natural service available in villages: no how many: artificial insemination available: no 14. DISEASES Due to an immunity gained during adverse conditions buffaloes in Iraq have good general condition. They have a minimum chance for infection with theileriasis or other tick and parasite diseases. 15. SOCIAL POSITION OF BUFFALO FARMERS The full majority of buffalo population is raised in small private herds. Owners are not wealthy and are poorly educated for which they follow the traditional production system. Hand milking, natural breeding, traditional feeding etc. and as a result they receive low profit. 16. PERSPECTIVES OF BUFFALO PRODUCTION Buffalo population in Iraq has gone through severe reduction in the last few years due to the following reasons: 1.Many buffalo farmers have quit raising this tough and sturdy animal and started work on jobs of better income. 2. Many buffalo were slaughtered during the years of economic blockade due to the high raising costs and the shortage of feedstuff. 3. Reduced fertility and sterility. 4. Buffalo owners were not compelled to follow strict hygienic measures and affect vaccinations. These constraints might be solved by: 1. utilizing agroindustrial by-products and non conventional feeds. 2. Improvement of hygienic conditions along with vaccination with special emphasis on detection of sterility and reduced fertility. 3. Implementation of artificial insemination. 4. Establishment of research stations for buffalo production and improvement with the employment of milking machines. 5. Develop research projects on reproduction with emphasis on the causes for infertility and sterility, on semen production, freezing and conservation, on meat production, on the employment of by-products to cope with the shortage of feedstuffs and reduce calf mortality. 17. REPORT SUBMITTED BY Dr. Sawsan A. Magid, Science Researcher, National Co-ordinator for Iraq, State board for Agricultural Research, Baghdad.