Review article
CATTLE BREEDING PROGRAMME IMPROVEMENT IN CROATIA 1. Morphological and phenotypical values of bulls of Simmental breeding programme
Rudolf Šic
; Centar za reprodukciju u stočarstvu Hrvatske, Republika Hrvatska
Petar Bosnić
; Centar za reprodukciju u stočarstvu Hrvatske, Republika Hrvatska
Dubravko Viduč
; Centar za reprodukciju u stočarstvu Hrvatske, Republika Hrvatska
Pero Božić
; Centar za reprodukciju u stočarstvu Hrvatske, Republika Hrvatska
Abstract
Based on the data such as the ridge height, depth and circumference of the thorax, the weight depending on the year of entry (1976-1994) and on the age of bulls (12 to 60 months), and based on the data explaining the reasons for exclusion, in the herd of bulls (n 253) produced in Varaždin Station for Quality Control of Produced Cattle and used both in the Central Institute for Breeding and Raising of Domestic Cattle and the Center for Reproduction in Cattle Industry in the Republic of Croatia, we have arrived at the following conclusions: 1. Growth and development of the Simmental bulls until the age of 5 years (60 months) was proportional and characteristic of physical measurements per groups, and growth and development was better when it was compared with the year of birth and the year of entry of young bulls in to the Central Institute and the Center. 2. The height of ridge in the first group (1976) was 129.07 cm for the bulls aged 12 months and 148,40 cm for those aged 60 months; the difference was 24 cm or 1 8.8% ( Table 1 ). The data on the differences in the height of ridges provide clear evidence that in each successive generation the height of the ridge became bigger (Table 1). 3. The depth of thorax in the first group (1976) was 65.77 cm in the bulls aged 12 months and 84.20 cm in those aged 60 months, this means that the depth of thorax was 18.43 cm or 28.0% bigger (Table 3). 4. The circumference of thorax improved in the same fashion in both groups and it was also dependent on the already shown thoracic depth (Table 5). In the performance testing in 1976 the average weight of the bulls aged 365 days in the first group was 591.00 kg. The average weight of the bulls aged 60 months was 1077.20 kg this means that in 12 months the bulls increased in weight by 486.20 kg or 82.3%. (Table 7). 5. The established physical measurements of the groups of bulls (RH, TD, TC and kg) clearly show a positive trend and increase in all the measurements and fulfilment of the plan and program in developing cattle industry in Croatia, and especially the "Croatian Simmental bull" from 1973 and 1991. 6. The majority of the bulls (n 5) or 33.6% of the bulls were excluded because of the disease and malformations of the locomotoric system, both in the early and later age. Due to inefficient reproductive capacity 12.2% or 31 bulls were excluded. A smaller number of bulls (n 18 or 7,1%) were excluded for internal, special or unknown reasons (n 12 or 4,7%) such as disputed paternity (n 1), prolonged daughter pregnancy (n 1 ), sale to another center (1 ), lack of recorded data. (Table 9). 7. Between 1976 and 1991 there were 224 bulls all together out of which 84 bulls or 37.5% lived to the age of 5 years and 140 bulls or 62.5% were excluded. Such ratio of exclusions and the bulls that were gurther used (62.5 to 37.5%) was found in the centers in other countries as well. The reasons for the exclusions in other countries slightly differ from our reasons and are much bigger when one considers morphological and phenotypic characteristics.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
163940
URI
Publication date:
23.9.1995.
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