An Introduction to Buffaloes

[River Buffaloes]

You herd them, do they follow or do you walk behind them, guiding them where you want them to go? My sheep follow me and run when I call. They are very food motivated, shake a coffee can of feed and they will follow me anywhere.

We keep the calves at home so the lactating buffaloes lead and the rest follow and I stay behind them to keep the new buffaloes or the yearlings in line. We sometimes take them 2-3 miles away from home.

 

[Ridgetop]

Yes, I saw them too. Their ears are non existent, I always thought "why did they breed out it's ears?"

They have ears, just very small ones. There are 2 types of allowable ears - gopher which look like they are not there, and elf where they have a tiny pointed ear like like in a picture of an elf. They actually have a complicated series of inner ear hairs to protect them from bug. The lack of long ears seemed to stem from one particular "sport" that threw that particular type of ear. The early breeders noticed that in the area where these goats originated that longer eared goats had a problem with bugs attacking the ears. So the tiny ears with hairs blocking the ear canal from bugs was bred for in order to relieve the problem. That is the supposed origin of the lack of excess ear cartilage.

We had both Nubians with long pendulous ears, and LaManchas. When the La Manchas were feeling particularly quarrelsome it was common to see them grab one of the Nubians by an ear and shake them like a dog! Then they would walk away with a big smirk on their faces. At first we thought it was an accident, but it happened so frequently that we realized that they were purposely biting the Nubians on their long ears!

I find this information about the various breeds of water buffaloes extremely interesting. I thought there was only one breed or variety of them and they they were all black. I also thought they were bad tempered and dangerous. Maybe those are the Cape Buffaloes and other varieties that have not bee domesticated. I have read books about life in India where small children are sent to take the buffaloes out to graze. The children would stay with the buffaloes during the day and then bring them back in to the villages in the evening. I read that as long as the children stayed with the buffaloes they were safe from tigers and leopards. Is this true? The size of some of those horns would seem to be a good preventative to a large cat. Do you lose many buffaloes to tigers? I have heard that there are not as many tigers in India anymore, and it might not be as much of a danger as it used to be. Some of the books I read about young children taking out the buffaloes were written quite a while ago.

Hypocalcemia or milk fever is more common in very high yielding cows. Probably like you say because they put so much into the calf and then try to produce such enormous amounts of milk immediately that they go down. If you have ever seen a cow down with milk fever she looks like she is going to die. Then the vet gives her the IV calcium drip and it is like a miracle. All of a sudden she staggers to her feet and looks fine! Can you give extra calcium before the buffaloes calve to prevent milk fever?

 

[River Buffaloes]

They have ears, just very small ones. There are 2 types of allowable ears - gopher which look like they are not there, and elf where they have a tiny pointed ear like like in a picture of an elf. They actually have a complicated series of inner ear hairs to protect them from bug. The lack of long ears seemed to stem from one particular "sport" that threw that particular type of ear. The early breeders noticed that in the area where these goats originated that longer eared goats had a problem with bugs attacking the ears. So the tiny ears with hairs blocking the ear canal from bugs was bred for in order to relieve the problem. That is the supposed origin of the lack of excess ear cartilage.

We had both Nubians with long pendulous ears, and LaManchas. When the La Manchas were feeling particularly quarrelsome it was common to see them grab one of the Nubians by an ear and shake them like a dog! Then they would walk away with a big smirk on their faces. At first we thought it was an accident, but it happened so frequently that we realized that they were purposely biting the Nubians on their long ears!

I find this information about the various breeds of water buffaloes extremely interesting. I thought there was only one breed or variety of them and they they were all black. I also thought they were bad tempered and dangerous. Maybe those are the Cape Buffaloes and other varieties that have not bee domesticated. I have read books about life in India where small children are sent to take the buffaloes out to graze. The children would stay with the buffaloes during the day and then bring them back in to the villages in the evening. I read that as long as the children stayed with the buffaloes they were safe from tigers and leopards. Is this true? The size of some of those horns would seem to be a good preventative to a large cat. Do you lose many buffaloes to tigers? I have heard that there are not as many tigers in India anymore, and it might not be as much of a danger as it used to be. Some of the books I read about young children taking out the buffaloes were written quite a while ago.

Hypocalcemia or milk fever is more common in very high yielding cows. Probably like you say because they put so much into the calf and then try to produce such enormous amounts of milk immediately that they go down. If you have ever seen a cow down with milk fever she looks like she is going to die. Then the vet gives her the IV calcium drip and it is like a miracle. All of a sudden she staggers to her feet and looks fine! Can you give extra calcium before the buffaloes calve to prevent milk fever?

They have ears, just very small ones. There are 2 types of allowable ears - gopher which look like they are not there, and elf where they have a tiny pointed ear like like in a picture of an elf. They actually have a complicated series of inner ear hairs to protect them from bug. The lack of long ears seemed to stem from one particular "sport" that threw that particular type of ear. The early breeders noticed that in the area where these goats originated that longer eared goats had a problem with bugs attacking the ears. So the tiny ears with hairs blocking the ear canal from bugs was bred for in order to relieve the problem. That is the supposed origin of the lack of excess ear cartilage.

We had both Nubians with long pendulous ears, and LaManchas. When the La Manchas were feeling particularly quarrelsome it was common to see them grab one of the Nubians by an ear and shake them like a dog! Then they would walk away with a big smirk on their faces. At first we thought it was an accident, but it happened so frequently that we realized that they were purposely biting the Nubians on their long ears!

I find this information about the various breeds of water buffaloes extremely interesting. I thought there was only one breed or variety of them and they they were all black. I also thought they were bad tempered and dangerous. Maybe those are the Cape Buffaloes and other varieties that have not bee domesticated. I have read books about life in India where small children are sent to take the buffaloes out to graze. The children would stay with the buffaloes during the day and then bring them back in to the villages in the evening. I read that as long as the children stayed with the buffaloes they were safe from tigers and leopards. Is this true? The size of some of those horns would seem to be a good preventative to a large cat. Do you lose many buffaloes to tigers? I have heard that there are not as many tigers in India anymore, and it might not be as much of a danger as it used to be. Some of the books I read about young children taking out the buffaloes were written quite a while ago.

Hypocalcemia or milk fever is more common in very high yielding cows. Probably like you say because they put so much into the calf and then try to produce such enormous amounts of milk immediately that they go down. If you have ever seen a cow down with milk fever she looks like she is going to die. Then the vet gives her the IV calcium drip and it is like a miracle. All of a sudden she staggers to her feet and looks fine! Can you give extra calcium before the buffaloes calve to prevent milk fever?

The Cape Buffaloes are only distantly related to Water Buffaloes. They are not even in the same Genus. They are not a different variety, but a different species altogether. It's like chicken and peacock. Both are in the same family phasianidae, but they are completely different birds, they are not different varieties of the same thing. Domestic Water Buffaloes were domesticated from, now critically endangered Asian Wild Buffaloes. It's important to emphasize the difference between Water Buffaloes and Cape Buffaloes and False Buffaloes (bison). This name sharing has done much harm to the reputation of the calm and gentle Water Buffaloes. More people rely on Water Buffaloes than any other livestock. They are true backyard livestocks.

Children taking buffaloes to the pasture and bringing them back in the evening is common sight in much of India. Children can't do hard labour so they are given easier tasks. I have never herd of or seen a buffalo protecting a child from big cats, but I have been protected by them from dogs and other children. It requires forming a deep bond with buffaloes, not every buffalo will do that.

I have lost only one buffalo to a big cat. It's true that there are not many big cats are left in India. But my village is near a tiger reserve. In the last tiger census there were 40 tigers in that reserve.

Hypocalcemia rarely ever results in milk fever in buffaloes. It often ends up causing uterine prolapse, which is equally dangerous. It happen when buffaloes are not able to extract enough calcium from their bones.

 

[Ridgetop]

Can you give calcium to them to prevent that? Uterine prolapse is usually a reason to cull an animal n sheep, I have replaced two uterine prolapses in sheep myself so far, and have also had a severe rectal prolapse that resulted in eventually putting down the ewe. I know that vets can replace a uterine prolapse in cattle and then stitch the uterus into place either permanently or temporarily until it reduces and heals, Do you do that to buffalo cows? Can they continue to be bred and calve normally?

 

[River Buffaloes]

Can you give calcium to them to prevent that? Uterine prolapse is usually a reason to cull an animal n sheep, I have replaced two uterine prolapses in sheep myself so far, and have also had a severe rectal prolapse that resulted in eventually putting down the ewe. I know that vets can replace a uterine prolapse in cattle and then stitch the uterus into place either permanently or temporarily until it reduces and heals, Do you do that to buffalo cows? Can they continue to be bred and calve normally?

No, infact giving calcium during pregnancy is counterproductive. If you give them calcium then their ability to extract calcium from their bones is reduced which may cause hypocalcemia.

I have never had a case of uterine prolapse in any of my buffaloes ever, I have heard that it happens. People call the vet and he cleans the uterus and put it back in place. They do breed and calve, but I don't know whether the delivery is more difficult.

Buffaloes usually calve easily. Only once few years ago one of my heifers needed help which I was able to provide my self. It was my first time intervening, the calf was rather large and the heifer was small.

 

[Ridgetop]

Small mama - big baby is never easy. Good thing you were able to help her. Sheep and goats are easier since smaller but sometimes it takes one of us to hold the ewe and the other to pull! LOL The worst birthing I had to help with was my neighbor's Warmblood colt. Huge colt, mare was exhausted, Nancy was going to pieces because she thought the colt was dead and she couldn't reach the vet. Her son came running to get me and I was able to work him out finally. I stuck my finger in his mouth right away and he sucked so I knew he was still alive. Nancy had to hold the mare and encourage her since she was about done in. She didn't get up after the birth for about half an hour, but Nancy rubbed and imprinted the foal so that was ok. Once the mare was up the foal couldn't figure out how to latch on and had to be helped to do that. We all agreed that his name should be "Blockhead". Pulling him was a strain and I know why cattle people use that calving winch now! LOL Pulling that buffalo calf must have taken a lot of strength! Wonderful that you saved it.

 

[River Buffaloes]

Small mama - big baby is never easy. Good thing you were able to help her. Sheep and goats are easier since smaller but sometimes it takes one of us to hold the ewe and the other to pull! LOL The worst birthing I had to help with was my neighbor's Warmblood colt. Huge colt, mare was exhausted, Nancy was going to pieces because she thought the colt was dead and she couldn't reach the vet. Her son came running to get me and I was able to work him out finally. I stuck my finger in his mouth right away and he sucked so I knew he was still alive. Nancy had to hold the mare and encourage her since she was about done in. She didn't get up after the birth for about half an hour, but Nancy rubbed and imprinted the foal so that was ok. Once the mare was up the foal couldn't figure out how to latch on and had to be helped to do that. We all agreed that his name should be "Blockhead". Pulling him was a strain and I know why cattle people use that calving winch now! LOL Pulling that buffalo calf must have taken a lot of strength! Wonderful that you saved it.

Actually I didn't need to pull , I just had to massage the head out and the whole calf came out on her own. The head got stuck.

 

[Baymule]

Are the buffaloes herded miles from home in order to graze?

It is so different here. Everything is private land and fenced. Texas has very little federal land and even federal land is often leased and fenced. So if we want livestock, we need the land to keep them on. If we tried to herd cattle down the road to graze, they would get hit by a car. Even on our small country roads, people drive too fast and are stupid.

 

[River Buffaloes]

Are the buffaloes herded miles from home in order to graze?

It is so different here. Everything is private land and fenced. Texas has very little federal land and even federal land is often leased and fenced. So if we want livestock, we need the land to keep them on. If we tried to herd cattle down the road to graze, they would get hit by a car. Even on our small country roads, people drive too fast and are stupid.

It depends, during the months of April to mid June there is hardly any rain and the herds have to travel longer distances every day to find water and green grass, typically a couple of miles. South West monsoon typically arrives in mid June. Officially the date is 15 th of June. During monsoon grass is everywhere.

We live very close to Himalayas, so even normal monsoons may cause some flooding. Strong monsoons always cause floods and excess monsoons like the current one brings devastating floods. This year we lost all but one and half hectares of rice. It was a big loss. This monsoon is first excess monsoon in twenty-five years.

Luckily buffaloes don't face much problem, they jump headlong in the flood water and munch on aquatic plants and tree leaves. They can also dive and eat the vegetation that is submerged in the water. Unfortunately however monsoon is also the high calving season for the Buffaloes and the calves are not as water resistant. Strong monsoon is a boon for most of the country, but it's a bane for us.

Rice is harvested in November-December and wheat and other winter crops are sown, so buffaloes have to travel far, because we can't allow them to graze in planted fields. The winter crop is harvested in March-April, buffaloes can graze on empty plots regardless of who owns the plot, but the grass that survives in the shade of the crops don't last long after the crops are harvested.

 

[River Buffaloes]

So I found a YouTube channel made by a Norwegian gentleman who keeps Water Buffaloes. He is new to Buffaloes and he doesn't do everything correctly, but it's a good to see him learning and improving.