Effect of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (bST) Utilization on Milk Production from Buffaloes

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effect of recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) utilization on milk production from Murrah buffaloes. Twenty eight multiparous Murrah buffaloes were used and divided into two homogeneous groups of 14 animals, receiving the following treatments: Group 1 - Control (salt solution) and Group 2 - 500 mg of bST/head every 14 days during 7 months. Buffaloes treated with bST presented increase of 48.52%, 32.80% and 32.80% on total milk yield, adjusted to 4% of fat and average daily milk yield, respectively. Somatotropin increased total fat milk yield without alter fat percentage of milk. Administration of bST did not affect protein percentage of milk while total protein milk yield increased. As for the lactating period, the treatment with bST differed of the control, what might have denoted in larger persistence of the lactation from buffaloes treated with bST.