Abstract
Data collected between 1981 and 1991 at the Philippine Carabao Center at Central Luzon State University (PCC-CLSU) were used for the comparison of growth, milk yield and draughtability of Murrah-Philippine crossbred and Philippine native buffaloes. Body weights and body measurements were available at 3-month intervals from birth to 36 months of age for a total of 34 $Murrah{\times}Philippine$ native buffalo F1 crossbreds (CBB; 21 cows, 13 bulls) and 32 Philippine native buffaloes (PNB; 16 cows, 16 bulls). Lactation records were available for 14 CBB and 19 PNB cows. Data for draughtability under wet and dry ploughing conditions were available for 4 CBB and 4 PNB steers. The results indicate that crossbreds grow faster (0-9 months of age: cows $442{\pm}19$ vs. $301{\pm}21g/day$, bulls $305{\pm}23$ vs. $296{\pm}21g/day$; 9-36 months of age: cows $227{\pm}10$ vs. $147{\pm}12g/day$, bulls $282{\pm}13$ vs. $138{\pm}12g/day$), mature earlier and produce more milk (1st lactation: $1139{\pm}153$ vs. $450{\pm}112kg$; 2nd lactation: $1115{\pm}132$ vs. $488{\pm}136kg$) than native buffaloes, but have a poorer draughtability (wet ploughing; force as % of body weight $8.8{\pm}0.2$ vs. $12.2{\pm}0.6$; dry ploughing: cut depth $10.98{\pm}0.25$ vs. $11.92{\pm}0.13cm$, velocity $0.50{\pm}0.03$ vs. $0.60{\pm}0.02m/sec$, force as % of body weight $9.0{\pm}0.6$ vs. $11.3{\pm}0.7$). The correlation coefficients between body weight and body measurements at birth and at 3-month intervals indicate that heart girth has a relatively high correlation with body weight, especially in crossbreds. It is concluded that in Philippine smallholder farming systems in which meat and milk production are secondary to draught power, the native buffalo is preferable from the point of view of input needed to maintain the number of animals kept for a required draught force.