Performance and welfare of dairy buffaloes subjected to different cooling strategies during subtropical summer

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different cooling strategies on milk yield and physiological and behavioral responses of Nili Ravi buffaloes during subtropical summer in Pakistan. Thirty Nili Ravi buffaloes were randomly assigned to three treatments: (1) CNT buffaloes cooled with the application of water using handheld hosepipe twice daily, 3 min each with a water flow rate of 40 L/min; (2) 2SS, buffaloes cooled with sprinklers twice daily; (3) 3SS, buffaloes cooled with sprinklers thrice daily. Each of the sprinkler sessions lasted for 1 h with a 12-min cycle (3 min water on, 9 min off). The trial was carried out from mid-July until the end of September 2019. The average ambient afternoon temperature humidity index was 86.9. The results indicated that the buffaloes in the 3SS group had lower respiration rate and rectal temperature than those in the CNT and the 2SS groups (P < 0.01). The 3SS group had more daily milk yield (P = 0.019) and milk fat % (P < 0.01) than the CNT and 2SS groups. The lying time and the lying bout length were significantly longer in the 3SS than in the CNT and 2SS groups. The blood cortisol levels tended to be lower in the 3SS group than in the CNT and 2SS groups (P = 0.051). In conclusion, the 3SS cooling strategy had more milk yield, more milk fat, and better welfare than the CNT strategy using less groundwater and both performed better than the 2SS strategy.