Herd Management in Buffalo Breeding: Breeding Animal Selection, Heat, Pregnancy and Birth Processes in Sivas Province

In modern herd management and fertility management to improve reproductive rates and maximize productivity; managing estrus, insemination and pregnancy processes with minimum loss and planning all necessary strategies are very important for business success. In this study, the data of 22 questions related to herd management practices such as breeding animal selection, care and feeding during estrus, pregnancy and parturition periods were presented in face-to-face questionnaire interviews with a total of 92 buffalo breeders in 18 villages of Sivas province, Merkez, Şarkışla and Suşehri districts. It was determined that the breeders procured breeding animals from their own resources (female 95%, male 83%); they paid attention to the age, body structure, not being sick or low-productive in the selection of breeding animals; and they used the behaviors of bellowing (61.5%), searching for the male (27.5%) and not allowing milking (27.5%) as heat detection methods. It is predicted that the participants have successful practices within the traditional breeding model in breeding animals, management of the fertility process and herd management, and that further informing the breeders and arranging the conditions in a way to improve their productivity in favor of the animals will be beneficial in the development process of breeding