THE HISTORY OF BREEDING ARABIAN HORSES ON TERRITORY REPUBLIC CROATIAN

Arapska pasmina proširila se sa Arapskog poluotoka po cijelom svijetu. U 14.stoljeću se prvi put spominju arapski konji na našem prostoru. Arapska pasmina oĉuvana je i danas zbog svog plemenitog i lijepog izgleda te mnogih poţeljnih karakteristika. Iako ih se u drugim zemljama mnogo više cijeni i prepoznat je veći potencijal ove pasmine, njihov broj u Hrvatskoj polako raste zbog sve veće popularnosti daljinskog jahanja i galopskih utrka. Oni su savršeni baš za ovakva natjecanja jer su poznati po svojoj snazi, izdrţljivosti i brzini. Osim u raznim natjecanjima ljepote i utrkama, koriste se i kao melioratori razliĉitosti pasmina u svijetu. Prema posljednjem izvješću Hrvatske poljoprivredne agencije iz 2015., danas se na našem podruĉju nalazi oko 650 jedinki arapske pasmine. Sa svojim karakteristiĉnim oblikom glave i visokim drţanjem repa, to je jedna od najlakše prepoznatljivih pasmina u svijetu i jedina istinski ĉistokrvna pasminaArabian breed has spread from the Arabian Peninsula all over the world. In the 14th century Arabian horses were for the first time mentioned in our area. Arabian breed has been preserved today because of its noble and good looking, and many desirable characteristics. Although they are in other countries much more respectable and recognized the greater potential of this breed, their number in Croatia is slowly growing due to the increasing popularity of endurance riding and gallop race. They are just perfect for this kind of competition because they are known for their strength, endurance and speed. In addition to various beauty contests and races, they are also used as meliorators diversity breeds in the world. According to the latest report of Croatian agricultural agency of 2015, today in our region is about 650 individuals of Arabian breed. With his characteristic head shape and high tail posture, it is one of the most easily recognizable breed in the world and the only true purebred breed

Candidate Genes Associated with Economically Important Traits of Sheep - A Review

Sheep give meat, milk, wool to the human population and this makes them a significant part of the world livestock industry. The basis of meat, milk and wool production is reproduction, respectively the success of reproduction. The result of reproduction is under the direct influence of genotypes and external factors and their interaction. The most important sheep product is meat and it is the main reason why sheep are raised in most countries. Milk is an important product of sheep, it is the basic food of young lambs and it plays an important role in the diet of the population. Wool makes sheep unique and therefore they are recognizable at first sight, in other words, different from other types of animals. Wool is a characteristic product of different and very variable economic importance, in some countries it is the most important product of sheep which provides the largest part of income. Many genes correlated with diverse economically significant phenotypic characteristics and their roles have been reported in domestic animals to date. In animal breeding, the identification of candidate genes correlated with economically important traits of sheep is crucial. The detailed information of the classified genes connected with significant traits helps to improve production capacity and productivity of sheep. Moreover, in this way the sheep processing industry can be increased, and thus the profitability and benefit of sheep breeders. The aim of this review is to provide complete information on the identified candidate genes associated with important production traits of sheep

Population trends of the most common large game in the hunting area in Eastern Croatia in 2008-2018

Red deer, roe deer, and wild boar belong to a group of large game and are the most common species of game in the hunting area in Eastern Croatia. The research was conducted by the company hunting staff in the Osijek-Baranja County, area of Kućanci in the interval from 2008 to 2018. Knowing the number of wildlife in the hunting area is the base for establishing growth and planning shootings. It is important to keep the balance in the hunting ground to avoid transmission and spreading of diseases and reduce traffic accidents as well as vehicle and wildlife damages. Given the fact that populations of large game have great importance in Croatia, the main objective of the study was to determine population trends of red deer, roe deer, and wild boar in the hunting ground in Eastern Croatia in 2008 - 2018

The Fluctuation in Wild Boar Population in the Hunting Area in Eastern Croatia

Considering the great importance of the wild boar population in Croatia, the objective of this study was to determine the fluctuations of all categories (offspring, young, middle-aged, and mature) of wild boar population in the hunting area in Eastern Croatia during the analyzed period from 2008 to 2018. Based on the conducted analysis, the following can be emphasized: the last recorded maximum of offspring (male, and female) was in 2013, the highest number of young (male, and female) was determined in 2018, the last recorded maximum of middle-aged (male, and female) was in 2014, and the last recorded maximum of mature (male, and female) was in 2013. Considering the situation in the hunting area in 1955, the number of wild boars redoubled in the last 10 years. Compared to 1995 and given the fact that the hunting area today has much more resources available and there is significant human activity that can recreate the wildlife population by releasing heads, there is a possibility that the number of wild boars could increase slowly in the coming years

Breeding Potential of Slavonian Syrmian Podolian Cattle in Slavonia and Baranja

Slavonsko-srijemski podolac početkom 20. stoljeća bio je najzastupljenija i najznačajnija pasmina u Baranji, Srijemu i Slavoniji te u Podravini do Virovitice gdje je činio oko 90 % ukupnog broja goveda te se koristio za teške poslove u poljoprivredi. Iako na zaštiti i očuvanju pasmine od 2008. godine djeluje Udruga uzgajivača slavonsko-srijemskog podolca, ova pasmina je zbog male populacije definirana kao kritično ugrožena pasmina. Danas se podolac više ne koristi kao radno govedo, nego za ekološku proizvodnju mesa, s tim da je cilj iskorištavanje neiskorištenih i zapuštenih prirodnih područja za koje je pasmina povijesno vezana uz očuvanje biološke raznolikosti i zaštićenih krajolika. Osim niske produktivnosti, uzgajivači nailaze na razne probleme: plasman proizvoda, tržišno neprepoznavanje, administrativna ograničenja vezana uz petogodišnju obavezu uzgoja propisanu potporama izvornih i zaštićenih pasmina, te izostavljanje potpora. S druge strane postoji još jedna autohtona pasmina, istarsko govedo, čije je meso gastronomski brend Istre. To je pasmina koja je prije dvadesetak godina bila na rubu izumiranja, a danas broji oko 2000 jedinki. Zahvaljujući povezanosti Istrijana s ovom pasminom, koju je u prošlosti imala svaka obitelj, te novih gastronomskih načina uporabe njihova mesa, broj istarskih goveda polako, ali sigurno raste. S ciljem predstavljanja široj javnosti, meso boškarina dostupno je u nekim restoranima te su stvoreni i suhomesnati proizvodi oplemenjeni začinima i istarskim vinima. Slavonija ima puno prirodnih resursa, odnosno potencijala da prema primjeru Istrijana sa svojom pasminom stvori brend Slavonije koji, ukoliko bude tržišno prepoznat, ima mogućnost postati svjetski specijalitet. Samim time, osim što bi na tržište došao kvalitetan ekološki proizvod, jednako tako zaštitila bi se i očuvala stara autohtona pasmina jer to nije samo očuvanje kulturne i prirodne baštine, nego i očuvanje vrijednog genetskog materijala.Slavonian Syrmian podolian cattle was, at the beginning of the 20th century the most wide-spread and the most important breed of cattle in Baranja, Syrmia and Slavonia as well as in Podravina up to Virovitica where it represented around 90 % of the total number of cattle and was used as a drought animal for farm labour. Due to its small population, the breed is defined as critically endangered even though the Association of Slavonian Syrmian podolian cattle breeders has been active trying to protect and preserve it since its foundation in 2008. Nowadays podolian cattle is not used for farm labour any more but for ecological meat production with the goal of repurposing unused and neglected areas that the breed has been historically associated with, along with the effort to preserve biological diversity and protected areas of countryside. Low productivity is just one of the many problems that breeders are faced with. Other problems include: product marketing, lack of product recognition, administrative restrictions regarding the five-year breeding commitment that is regulated through financial support for indigenous and protected breeds and finally, lack of this support. On the other hand there is another indigenous breed, the Istrian cattle, whose meat is a gastronomic brand of Istria. Twenty years ago, the breed was on the verge of extinction and today its population is about 2000. The number is slowly but steadily growing, owing to the sense of connectedness that the Istrians have with the breed that every family used to own in the past and to their commitment to finding new ways of using the meat. With the purpose of introducing it to a wider public, the meat of Boskarin is now served in a number of restaurants along with a whole range of dried-meat products, delicately spiced and enjoyed with a variety of Istrian wines. Slavonia has the natural resources and potentials for creating such a brand, following the Istrian model, and making its cattle breed recognisable in the market and eventually enjoyed by consumers worldwide. The benefit would be twofold. Besides bringing a high-quality ecological product on the market, an indigenous breed would be protected and preserved, which is not only valuable in the cultural and natural sense but also in the sense of preserving valuable genetic material

USPOREDBA STATISTIČKIH MODELA ZA PROCJENU EMISIJE METANA MLIJEČNIH SIMENTALSKIH KRAVA TEMELJEM PODATAKA KONTROLE PROIZVODNOSTI

In the last decades we have witnessed increasingly pronounced climate change worldwide resulting in environment transformation in various regions by making it not convenient for agricultural and livestock production. The global livestock sector contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission, but on the other hand, it can also deliver a significant share of the necessary mitigation effort. One of the most significant greenhouse gas is methane. Mitigation methods for the methane emissions in cattle can be classified as short and long term. Short-term methods imply increase of production per animal, reduction of number of animals and feeding optimization, while long-term methods imply genetic evaluation and selection based on methane emission variation. Prerequisite for genetic evaluation is selection of optimal indicators and models with high accuracy and easy applicability in routine Animal Recording. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate different models for methane emission estimation in dairy cows based on Animal Recording data. The results obtained indicate that data from regular Animal Recording could be used in estimation of methane emission of dairy Simmental cows enabling the population analysis and genetic evaluation of dairy cattle for methane emission. Given the very high variability determined in estimated methane emission values regarding the used statistical models and aiming high accuracy of genetic evaluation it is recommended to define estimation models for body weight, dry matter intake and methane emission based on parameters (type traits and test-day records) of particular dairy cattle population. The stated will enable genetic evaluation of dairy cattle for methane emission as well as selection of cows with lower methane emission intensity. Finally, this will lead to environmentally sustainable milk production.Posljednjih desetljeća svjedočimo sve izraženijim klimatskim promjenama diljem svijeta, koje su rezultirale preobrazbom okoliša u različitim regijama čineći ga nepogodnim za poljoprivrednu, a osobito za stočarsku proizvodnju. Globalni stočarski sektor značajno doprinosi antropogenoj emisiji stakleničkih plinova, no, s druge strane, također može značajno doprinijeti mjerama ublažavanja. Jedan od najznačajnijih stakleničkih plinova je metan. Metode ublažavanja emisija metana u goveda mogu se klasificirati kao kratkoročne i dugoročne. Kratkoročne metode podrazumijevaju povećanje proizvodnje po životinji, smanjenje broja životinja i optimizaciju hranidbe, dok dugoročne metode podrazumijevaju genetsku evaluaciju i selekciju na temelju varijacija u emisiji metana. Preduvjet za genetsku evaluaciju je izbor optimalnih indikatora i modela koji su vrlo točni i lako primjenjivi u rutinskoj kontroli proizvodnosti. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je procijeniti različite modele za procjenu emisije metana u mliječnih krava na temelju podataka kontrole proizvodnosti. Dobiveni rezultati upućuju na to da bi se podatci kontrole proizvodnosti mogli koristiti za procjenu emisije metana kod mliječnih simentalskih krava, što omogućuje analizu populacije i genetsku evaluaciju mliječnih goveda za emisiju metana. S obzirom na utvrđenu vrlo visoku varijabilnost u procijenjenim vrijednostima emisije metana u odnosu na korišteni statistički model te s ciljem visoke točnosti genetske evaluacije, preporučuje se definiranje modela procjene tjelesne mase, unosa suhe tvari i emisije metana na temelju parametara (ocjene eksterijera te zapisi na kontrolni dan) populacije pojedinih mliječnih goveda. Model će omogućiti genetsku evaluaciju mliječnih goveda za emisiju metana, kao i selekciju krava s manjom emisijom metana. Primjena navedenoga u konačnici će dovesti do ekološki prihvatljivije proizvodnje mlijeka

Analiza proizvodnih karakteristika i mikroklimatskih parametara na farmama za proizvodnju mleka

Aiming determination of the variability of production traits (daily milk yield and composition) and microclimate parameters (ambient temperature and humidity) in the barns; as well as the correlation between the analyzed groups of traits, 1,636,192 test-day records from Simmentals and 1,275,713 test-day records from Holsteins were analysed. Performed analysis indicate high variability of production traits due to cow's breed, parity as well as breeding region. Also, high variability of microclimate parameters in the barns due to season and breeding region was found. Furthermore, statistically highly significant (p lt 0.001) correlations between the production traits and microclimate parameters were determined. Finally, the negative effect of inadequate microclimate on daily milk production was determined in both breeds in all breeding regions. Since genetic evaluation and selection of dairy cattle for heat resistance is only long-term method for heat stress managing, determined effect will be taken into account in the statistical model for estimation of genetic parameters and breeding values.Cilj istraživanja je bio određivanje varijabilnosti proizvodnih osobina (dnevni prinos i sastav mleka) i mikroklimatskih parametara (temperatura i vlažnost okoline) u objektima za držanje krava za proizvodnju mleka; kao i korelacija između analiziranih grupa osobina; 1.636.192 zapisa za grla simentalske rase i 1.275.713 zapisa test dana grla holštajn rase. Izvršene analize pokazuju veliku varijabilnost proizvodnih osobina zbog rase krava, pariteta kao i odgajivaĉkog regiona. Takođe je utvrđena velika varijabilnost mikroklimatskih parametara u objektima zbog sezone i odgajivačkog regiona. Pored toga, utvrđene su statistički vrlo značajne (p lt 0,001) korelacije između proizvodnih svojstava i parametara mikroklime. Konačno, negativan uticaj neadekvatne mikroklime na svakodnevnu proizvodnju mleka utvrđen je kod obe rase u svim odgajivačkim regionima. Pošto je genetska procena i selekcija mlečnih goveda na otpornost na visoke temperature sredine samo dugoročna metoda za upravljanje toplotnim stresom, utvrđeni efekat biće uzet u obzir u statističkom modelu za procenu genetskih parametara i odgajivačkih vrednosti

utjecaj odgovora na toplinski stres, redoslijeda laktacije, pasmine te regije uzgoja na broj somatskih stanica u mliječnih goveda

With the aim of determining the effect of response to heat stress, parity, breed and breeding region on somatic cell count (SCC) in dairy cattle, the individual test-day records of dairy cows collected from 2005 to 2012 in regular milk recording (AT4 / BT4 method) in Croatia were used. The proportional differences in log somatic cell count, and logSCC (in %) in subsequent milk recordings (1st, and 2nd) were determined in cows with a significant decrease in daily milk yield at a set temperature-humidity index, THI threshold (68, 72, and 76). The results indicate high variability in somatic cell count due to the animal’s response to heat stress (heat stressed at THI in 68, 72, and 76), parity (1, 2, and 3+), breed (Holstein, and Simmental) and breeding region (Central, and Eastern Croatia). Also, it could be pointed out that Holsteins, especially cows in higher parities (2, 3+) reared in Eastern Croatia were shown to be more sensitive to environmental stress, even in the period after heat stress (1st, and 2nd subsequent milk recording). Since SCC is not only an indicator for mastitis, but also reflects a cow’s immune response to general stress situations, the high variability determined may be explained by the individual adaptation capabilities of these two breeds to breeding conditions in the analysed regions.U cilju utvrđivanja utjecaja odgovora na toplinski stres, redoslijeda laktacije, pasmine te regije uzgoja na broj somatskih stanica u mliječnih krava analizirani su zapisi na kontrolni dan prikupljeni u periodu od 2005. do 2012. tijekom provedbe redovite kontrole mliječnosti (AT4 / BT4 metoda) u Hrvatskoj. Proporcionalna razlika u logSCC (%) u slijedećim kontrolama mliječnosti (1. i 2.), utvrđena je u krava sa znakovitim padom dnevne količine mlijeka pri određenim graničnim vrijednostima THI (68, 72 i 76). Utvrđeni rezultati ukazuju na visoku varijabilnost u broju somatskih stanica uslijed odgovora grla na toplinski stres (u toplinskom stresu pri THI 68, 72 i 76), redoslijeda laktacije (1, 2 i 3+), pasmine (Holstein i Simmental) te regije uzgoja (središnja i istočna Hrvatska). Nadalje, može se istaknuti da su se grla Holstein pasmine, osobito krave u višim laktacijama (2., 3+) uzgajane u istočnoj Hrvatskoj, pokazale kao osjetljivije na stresne okolišne uvjete, čak i u razdoblju nakon toplinskog stresa (1., i 2. kontrola mliječnosti). Budući da broj somatskih stanica ne predstavlja samo indikator mastitisa, već odražava i imunološki odgovor krave na opće stresne situacije, utvrđena visoka varijabilnost može biti objašnjena individualnim adaptacijskim mogućnostima obiju pasmina na uvjete uzgoja u analiziranim regijama

Estimation of genetic parameters and breeding values for daily milk production of dairy simmentals in terms of heat stress

Variance components for daily milk production as well as breeding value of dairy Simmentals for daily milk production in terms of heat stress defined as different values of THI threshold values (72, 74, and 76) were estimated using 1,636,192 test-day records provided by the Croatian Agricultural Agency. Temperature-humidity index (THI) calculated from ambient temperature and relative humidity recorded in the barns on the milk recording day was used as the measure of heat stress. Bivariate estimation model accounted variances due to lactation stage, calving season, age at calving, breeding region, parity, permanent environment, interaction between hear and year, and individual animal Obtained high genetic correlations between the daily milk production in normal and condition characterized by heat stress, as well as very high correlations between the EBVs in normal and heat stress conditions indicate animals' high level of acclimatization to the environment on dairy cattle farms. Since microclimate measurements were carried out only once at a milk recording day, these results should be taken with caution. Generally, further research with multiple daily measurements of the microclimate parameters in the facilities is necessary to provide a fully unambiguous conclusion