Farmer’s profile and exterior characteristics of female Moa buffaloes in Moa Island, Maluku Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Moa  buffalo  is  one  of  buffalo  germ  plasm  kept  by  farmers  in  Moa  Island,  Maluku Province.  Its  productivity,  exterior  characteristics and  farmers  profile  have  not  been  explored;therefore this research was conducted to identify the profile of farmers and the exterior characteristics of female Moa buffalo at various ages. This research was conducted at 5 villages. Research materials included  96  farmers  as  respondents,  222  female  buffaloes  (1  to  5  yr  old).  Survey  method  and descriptive  analysis  were  applied  to  collect  all  of  information  required.  Farmers’  identity  and population  structures  were  collected  by  direct  interviews  with  the  farmers  using  structural questionnaires. Body measurement was done by direct measurement on the body, consisted of body length,  withers height, chest depth, heart girth, rump height, rump width and ages of  buffaloes. The results  showed  that  the  average  age  of  the  farmers  was  about  41.92  yr  and  experience  on  keeping buffaloes  was  16.92  yr.  The  average  numbers  of buffaloes  owned  by  farmers  was  37.63  heads. Exterior  characteristics  of  female  buffaloes  at  2-3  yr  old  were  body  length  88.92  ±  9.94  cm,  heart girth  136.69  ±  21.05  cm,  withers  height  94.77  ±  7.23  cm,  rump  height  44.77  ±  5.54  cm  and  body weight  192.46  ±  29.12  kg.  At  3-4  yr  old  of  female  buffaloes,  the  body  length,  heart  girth,  withers height, rump height, chest depth, rump width and body weight were 163.61 ± 16.40 cm, 110.03 ± 6.14 cm; 109.08 ±5.88 cm, 65.58 ± 6.69 cm, 46.82 ± 4.62 cm and 253.45 ± 30.79 kg, respectively. At 4-5 yr  old,  the  body  length,  heart  girth,  withers  height,  rump  height,  chest  depth,  rump  width  and  body weight of females buffaloes were 116.14 ± 10.98  cm, 174.04 ± 12.12 cm, 115.07 ± 3.23 cm, 113.07 ± 3.74  cm,  67.36  ±  7.44  cm,  48.07  ±  3.74  cm  and  270,42  ±  27,24  kg,  respectively,  while  for  female buffaloes  under  more  than  5  yr  old,  it  was  121.44  ±  12.22  cm,  180.01  ±  16.63  cm,  120.19  ±  3.76, 119.49 ± 13.74 cm, 79.40 ± 5.52 cm, 58.72 ± 4.88 cm and 292.09 ± 29.76 kg. It is concluded that the exterior characteristics of female Moa buffaloes were depended on the ages, the older buffaloes, the higher exterior characteristics.