Effects of Age at First Calving on Some Reproductive and Herd Parameters in Anatolian Buffaloes

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of age at first calving (AFC) on calving interval (CI), service period (SP), number of calvings (NC), productive life (RL), reproductive life (PL), and herd life (HL) in Anatolian buffaloes. The dataset consisted of records from 641 breeding female buffaloes and their 2,256 calves born over the years in 89 farms between 2012 and 2022. Breeding female buffaloes were classified into three groups according to their age at first calving as ≤ 37.99 months (Group 1, n = 271), 38–49.99 months (Group 2, n = 228), or ≥ 50 months (Group 3, n = 142). Age at first calving differed statistically among Groups 1, 2, and 3 (34.09 ± 0.15, 43.73 ± 0.25, and 61.15 ± 0.84 months, respectively) (p < 0.001). RL was higher in Group 1 (58.79 ± 2.41) than in Group 3 (45.29 ± 1.87); PL was higher in Group 1 (61.03 ± 4.48) than in Groups 2 and 3 (50.72 ± 2.07 and 43.77 ± 1.87, respectively); and HL was higher in Group 3 (104.08 ± 2.01) than in Groups 1 and 2 (91.24 ± 2.39 and 94.68 ± 2.01, respectively) (p = 0.000). A strong positive correlation was found between age at first conception and AFC (r = 0.998), and between CI and SP (r = 0.997) (p < 0.001). Age at first calving (p < 0.001), SP (p < 0.001), NC (p < 0.001), and HL (p < 0.001) were identified as factors influencing reproductive life. In conclusion, late first calving (≥ 50 months) in Anatolian buffaloes reduces reproductive efficiency and leads to economic losses, while early first calving (≤ 37.99 months) increases herd productivity and the total number of calvings. Since age at first calving is critical for reproductive performance and lifelong reproductive activity, it is recommended to reduce age at first calving through improvements in nutrition, health, and genetic management.