With the objective of studying and protecting genomes of autochthonous breeds
of cattle, investigations were performed of the variability of morphometric
characteristics of the autochthonous breeds Busa and Gatacko cattle, as well
as a retrospective analysis of the development of the examined populations.
The investigations covered 97 cows, specifically 22 head of western
Herzegovina Busa cattle, 24 head of eastern Herzegovina Busa cattle, and 51
head of Gatacko cattle. Morphometric measurements were examined: height at
withers, body length, foot circumference, and chest girth. The obtained data
were processed statistically, and variability was established using simple
variance analysis with an unequal number of repetitions. The significance of
the obtained differences from the three investigated localities was tested
using the F test and t-test. A significant degree of variability was
established for the morphological characteristics within the examined
populations, as well as between the populations. The established differences
are primarily a result of the influence of different natural conditions and
breeding conditions, as well as the genome share of Alpine cattle, with which
the Busa has been crossbred
