AUTOCHTHONOUS SHEEP BREEDS IN SLOVENIA BOVSKA SHEEP

Slovenian autochthonous Bovksa sheep breed, its origin, name origin, breeding area, its characteristics and production traits are presented. Bovska sheep are found in the Soča valley but they are scarce so that a special preservation program has bee accepted. Sheep are bred in small flocks of ten to twenty animals, sometimes fourty or more. It is estimated that there are only between 1500 and 2000 animals of Bovska sheep breed left

THE EFFECT OF PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND WEANING ON LAMB CARCASS TRAITS AND MEAT CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTOCHTHONOUS JEZERSKO-SOLČAVA BREED

Thirty-two Jezersko-Solčava lambs were used in a 2X2 factorial design to evaluate the effect of production system (fattening in stable with hay and cereals ad libitum or on the pasture) and weaning (suckling or weaned lambs) on carcass and meat traits of lambs. Suckling lambs were slaughtered at 125 days of age (30 kg of live weight) and weaned lambs were slaughtered at 165 days (38 kg of live weight). No significant differences in daily gain and dressing percentage compared to the production system or weaning were observed. Lambs from pasture had greater percentage of liver, heart and spleen. They had longer and wider carcasses and lower carcass fatness as indicated by lower percentage of kidney fat (1.16 vs. 1.99) and lower percentage of fat in leg than lambs from stable. They also had higher percentage of shoulder and leg and lower percentage of back, loin and rib with flank. Production system also affected meat color. Lambs from pasture had higher CIE L, a and b values of Longissimus dorsi muscle. Mostly, weaning influenced carcass fatness and related traits. Suckling lambs had lower fatness score (4.94 vs. 6.25), lower percentage of kidney fat and fat in leg (8.66 vs. 10.31) and lower percentage of rib with flank than weaned lambs. Meat from suckling lambs was also of lighter colour. There was no significant interaction between production system and weaning on studied carcass or meat traits

PRESERVATION OF NATIVE SHEEP BREEDS IN SLOVENIA

The preservation program include three slovenian native sheep breeds: Bovška sheep, Jezerskosolčavska sheep and Istrian Pramenka sheep. Bovška sheep breed, its origin, name origin, breeding area, its characteristics and production traits are presented. Bovška sheep are found in the Soča valley but they are scarce so that a special preservation program has been accepted. Sheep are bred in small flocks of ten to twenty animals, sometimes forty or more. It is estimated that there are only between 500 and 800 animals of Bovška sheep breed left. Jezerskosolčavska sheep breed, its origin, name origin, breeding area, its characteristics and production traits are presented. Istrian Pramenka sheep breed, its origin, name origin, breeding area on Karst region, its characteristics and production traits are presented

Inclusion Of The Spatial Dimension Of Population Data In Developing Policies For The Management Of AnGR –The Case Of The Heritage Sheep Breeds

The sustainable use of farm animal genetic resources is connected with the recognition of their contribution to the society and the environment and the assessment of the threats they are facing. The category of the heritage breeds, which are genetically distinct, geographically concentrated, adapted to their environment, commercially farmed to contribute to the local economy were considered in the frame of the HERITAGESHEEP project. The aim of this project was to deliver the potential of the heritage sheep breeds for a sustainable future for medium to low input production systems, which support local rural communities throughout Europe. This was achieved by addressing the conservation of these breeds, defining the current and future threats and developing new uses and markets for products

DID DROUGHT AFFECT SOME FERTILITY TRAITS AND LAMB BIRTH WEIGHT OF SLOVENIAN AUTOCHTHONOUS SHEEP BREEDS?

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi jesu li ekstremni okolišni uvjeti, odnosno suša i visoke temperature tijekom vegetacijskog razdoblja, utjecali na neke parametre plodnosti i porodnu masu janjadi. Istraživanjem je obuhvaćeno 14.562 grla slovenskih autohtonih pasmina ovaca s ukupno 46.434 zapisa o plodnosti i porodnoj masi janjadi. Ovce su se janjile od siječnja 2002. do prosinca 2006. godine na 247 gospodarstava na području Slovenije. Zapisi su iz centralne baze podataka Selekcijske službe, Biotehniška Fakulteta, Oddelek za zootehniku. Od ukupnog broja ovaca 34,35% bilo je jezersko-solčavske pasmine (JS), 52,41% oplemenjene jezersko-solčavske (OJS), dok je 13,24% ovaca pripadalo bovskoj (B) pasmini. Gospodarstva su s obzirom na veličinu stada podijeljena u tri razreda, S ( 100 ovaca). Za ocjenu sistematskog utjecaja godine janjenja ovisno o pasmini na parametre plodnosti (broj rođene i živorođene janjadi u leglu, te broj janjenja po godini) korištena je neparametrijska analiza, dok je za ocjenu sistematskih utjecaja pasmine, veličine stada i godine janjenja na prosječnu porodnu masu janjadi korišten linearni model fiksnih utjecaja. Utvrđeno je da godina janjenja statistički značajno (P 0,05) utjecaj. Pasmina, veličina stada i godina janjenja statistički vrlo značajno (P < 0,001) utječu na prosječnu porodnu masu janjadi. Pad veličine legla, odnosno broja rođene i živorođene janjadi u leglu svih promatranih pasmina u 2004. u odnosu na 2003. godinu vjerojatno je uzrokovan ekstremno visokim temperaturama i sušom tijekom 2003. godine. Pad prosječnoga broja janjenja godišnje u jezersko-solčavske i oplemenjene jezersko-solčavske pasmine u 2004. u odnosu na 2003. također je vjerojatno uzrokovan ekstremnom sušom u 2003. godini. Oscilacije u prosječnoj porodnoj masi janjadi svih pasmina vjerojatno su posljedica klimatskih uvjeta u promatranom razdoblju. Smatramo da je uočeno smanjivanje parametara plodnosti (veličine legla i broja janjenja godišnje) i oscilacije prosječne porodne mase janjadi po godinama janjenja uzrokovano problemima u hranidbi zbog ekstremnih vremenskih neprilika, osobito izraženih u 2003. godini.The aim of this research was to determine effect of extreme environmental conditions such as drought and high temperatures during the vegetation period on some fertility traits and birth weight of lambs. The data used in this study were 46,434 records of fertility and birth weight collected on 14,562 sheep of Slovenian autochthonous breeds. Sheep lambed from January 2002 to December 2006 on 247 family farms in Slovenia. Records are from central data base of Selection Service, Biotechnical Faculty, Department for Animal Science. 34,35% represented the Jezersko-Solcava sheep (JS), 52.41% the Improved Jezersko-Solcava sheep (OJS), while 13.24% of sheep belonged to the Bovec Sheep (B). According to flock size, farms were divided into three classes, S (_ 100 sheep). Nonparametric analysis was used for estimation of lambing year fixed effect in relation to breed on fertility parameters (number of born and liveborn lambs in litter, and number of lambing per year). For estimation of breed, flock size and lambing year effect on birth weight of lambs fixed effect linear model was used. Lambing year statistically significantly (P< 0.05) influenced the litter size, number of born and liveborn lambs in litter of the Jezersko-Solcava sheep, the Improved Jezersko-Solcava sheep and the Bovec sheep breed, respectively. Lambing year statistically significantly (P< 0.05) influenced the number of lambing per year in the Jezersko-Solcava sheep and the Improved Jezersko-Solcava sheep breed, while in the Bovec sheep the lambing year had no statistically significant (P > 0.05) effect. Breed, flock size and lambing year statistically highly significantly (P < 0.001) influencedthe average birth weight of lambs. Extremely high temperatures and drought during year 2003 probably caused a decrease of litter size in all analysed breeds in year 2004 when compared to year 2003. In addition, the number of lambing per year in the Jezersko-Solcava Sheep and the Improved Jezersko-Solcava sheep breed decreased in year 2004 when compared to year 2003 probably as the result of extreme drought in 2003. Variation in average lamb birth weight of all analysed breeds was probably the consequence of climate conditions in the research period. In conclusion, the determined decrease of fertility parameters (litter size and number of lambing per year) and variation in average birth weight per lambing year can probably be attributed to feeding problems due to extreme climate conditions, particularly expressed in year 2003

Overview and assessment of support measures for endangered livestock breeds : Subsibreed : Final project report

Livestock production has contributed to food security and economic development for thousands of years. Adaptation to wide range of environmental conditions and artificial selection has led to the development of numerous indigenous breeds that are part of the wealth of diversity in agriculture. They are producing a wide range of products for local and domestic consumption as well as for international trade. Livestock are for many local communities, invaluable sources of food and other products and essential sources of income. Maintaining the diversity of breeds in various species of domestic animals enables farmers and breeders to respond to ever changing consumer demands as well as changing production conditions, especially in light of climate change. No one can predict future demands and production conditions, and thus, maintaining the greatest diversity of animal genetic resources provides an insurance policy to enable necessary adaptation. Lack of appreciation for the need to maintain genetic diversity or inadequate farmer and breeder support programmes has resulted in the rapid global erosion of local breeds. Greater effort is required to stem this erosion