Abstract
The effect of the use of oxytocin on some reproductive traits of buffaloes and cows in urban and rural areas of Faisalabad was determined. One hundred and sixty respondents, eighty each from urban and rural localities, were interviewed using a pretesd question-nare. Oxytocin had no effect on the calving interval in 63.9% of the buffaloes and 58.8% of the cows, whereas in rest of the animals the calving interval was reported to increase. Similar trend was observed for conception rate. More than 50% of the dairy animals receiving oxytocin tended to abort, mostly in ear-lier stages of pregnancy. The incidence of prolapse of uterus was found to be 22.0% in buffaloes and 17.6% in cows. The overall health of the buffaloes and cows having poor body condition was reported to be adversely affected as a result of prolonged oxytocin treatment.
INTRODUCTION
The milk letdown process is generally stimulated by calf suckling or massa-ging the udder and tests by the milker and in some cases by audio-visual stimuli such as noises a3sociated with milking/feeding or the presence of milker as such. The latent period of milk ejection reflex is longer in buffaloes than in cows and. this duration varies even among individuals of the same species (Alley, 1969) Some animals do not respond to normal stimulation. Fright, anger, noise, pain, irritation, varying conditions of housing and different methods of milking may also cause total or incomplete inhibition of milk ejection.
To temporarily overcome such partial or complete inhibition of milk let-down the use of synthetic has become very widespread with milk producers, who are mostly illiterate people.
