THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO

The percentages of pregnant cattle and carabaos slaughtered
in 1988 at New Slaughterhouse, Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI),
Taguig, Metro Manila were determined. Pregnant
animals slaughtered were higher in cattle (10.56%) than in
carabaos (3.51%). The percentages of slaughtered pregnant
cattle and carabaos were highest during the months of July
(17.83%) and June (6.03%), respectively. Based on the
three stages of pregnancy, the highest percentage of
slaughtered carabaos occurred at early pregnancy (1.36%),
followed by mid (1.21%) and late pregnancy (0.94%).
The highest percentage of carabaos slaughtered at early
stage of pregnancy occurred in May (3.03%), April (3.03%)
for mid pregnancy and November (1.75%) for late
pregnancy. In cattle, the highest percentage of slaughtered
pregnant animals was at early pregnancy (4.41%),
followed by mid pregnancy (3.28%) and lowest at late
pregnancy (2.88%). According to place of origin, Cavite
(46.32%) and Masbate (30.24%) had the highest
percentages of slaughtered pregnant cattle and carabaos,
respectively. In spite of the law prohibiting the slaughter of
pregnant cattle and carabaos, the authorities have failed to
totally prevent this practice as revealed in the present
study. Pregnant animals are still being slaughtered in
abattoirs because of insufficient ante-mortem inspection,
laxity on the implementation of the law against the
slaughtering of pregnant animal and lack of expertise in
pregnancy diagnosis at farm level. Hence, to prevent the
shipment and slaughter of pregnant cattle and carabaos,
the “Buy Back Operation” is recommended to be revived.
Keywords: buy back operation, cattle, carabao, Food
Terminal Inc., abattoir, incidence of slaughtered pregnant
ruminants
*Abstracts of Completed Researches 1981-1996. (1990).
PCC-UPLB, College, Laguna. Also in Abstracts of Water
Buffalo Researches in the Philippines 1981-1995. 1996.
PCC-DA. p. 44-45. Also in Annotated Bibliography on
Philippine Biodiversity: Livestock and Poultry
(Agrobiodiversity) 1949-1997, Carabaos (2002) p. 377.
R-18
A STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF RIGHT AND LEFT
HORN PREGNANCIES IN SLAUGHTERED
PREGNANT NATIVE COWS AND CARABAOS*
A. S. Gilo, Student, CVM, UP, Diliman, Quezon City
A study on the incidence of right-horn and left-horn
pregnancies as well as pregnancies wherein the corpus
luteum is on the same side and those wherein the corpus
luteum is on the opposite side of the gravid horn among
slaughtered native cows and carabaos are herein
REPRODUCTION
presented. The findings in this study agreed with earlier
observations that there are more right-horn than left-horn
pregnancies and that in most cases, the corpus luteum is
on the same side as the gravid horn.
Keywords: cow, carabao, pregnancy
*Undergraduate Thesis, College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City (1972).
R-19
PRELIMINARY STUDY ON IN VITRO PRODUCTION
OF BUFFALO EMBRYO: EFFECT OF CULTURE
MEDIA AND SERA*
M. Gunjima, JOCV Volunteer
E. V. Venturina, Science Research Specialist II, PCC-CLSU, DA
E. G. Annaguey, Laboratory Assistant, PCC-CLSU,DA
R. V. Javier, Laboratory Assistant, PCC-CLSU, DA
F. V. Mamuad, Center Director, PCC-CLSU, DA
This study aimed to examine effects of culture media and
sera on in vitro development of buffalo embryo. Cumulus–
oocyte–complexes (COC’s) were aspirated from ovaries
of slaughtered Philippine carabao. The COC’s were counted
and classified into 5 groups based on the morphology of
the cumulus and the ooplasm. Mean number of COC’s
obtained per ovary was 3.1. Mean number of the good
quality COC’s (Rank A and B) was 1.2 per ovary, 36.6%
of all. COC’s with good quality were matured and fertilized
in vitro, and then cultured in different combinations of culture
medium (TCM–199 or mSOF) and serum (locally
processed buffalo calf serum or commercial bovine calf
serum) under the co-culture system with cumulus cells.
Results showed that no cleavages ocurred in both of the
media supplemented with locally processed buffalo calf
serum. Some zygotes cleaved but stopped to develop up
to 8 cell stage in mSOF supplemented with bovine calf
serum. Some embryos developed up to blastocyst stage
in TCM-199 supplemented with bovine calf serum. These
results demonstrated that buffalo embryos could develop
up to blastocyst stage in vitro, under the co-culture system
with cumulus cells using TCM-199 supplemented with
bovine calf serum as a culture medium.
Keywords: mSOF, TCM-199, buffalo/bovine calf serum,
buffalo embryo, cumulus-oocytes-complexes
*Proceedings of the PSAS 35 th Annual Convention, October
15-16, 1998, Metro Manila, Philippines. p. 50.
R-20
EFFECT OF TIME ON MATURATION AND EMBRYO
DEVELOPMENT RATES OF BUFFALO OOCYTES
IN VITRO*
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