El búfalo de agua en Cuba. III. Programación fetal, pesos al nacer y al destete .

Background: Fetal programming was a term used first in humans, then it spread thanks to different research done on domestic animals to determine the effects on the progenies of nutrition during the early, intermediate, and final stages of gestation, and their short-term repercussions on the productive, reproductive, and immunological parameters, such as birth and weaning weights. Aim: To present this concept and analyze birth and weaning weights as reference information for buffalo progenies. Development: This paper deals with the concept of fetal programming and its impact on raising; the weight-related data collected upon buffalo calving were shown. Conclusions: The scientific evidence demonstrated the relevance of the nutritional state of the cows during fertilization and gestation, as well as the low weaning weights of the progenies. It means that a change of mindset is necessary in livestock raising, by considering this scenario as a starting point to produce offspring with the proper weight required for further production and reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]