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The article discusses research which analysed pre-fattening growth and integral assessment of three swine maternal hybrid genotypes under non-conventional feeding. Data were analyzed by the least squares method, through a linear model of fixed effects. It showed that under conditions where feeding during a great part of the reproductive life is based on final molasses, the maternal genotypes to be used are the Yorkshire x Duroc (YD) and the Yorkshire x Landrace (YL).

A study was developed in Granma province, Cuba for analyzing 1484 monthly records of daily milk production of 500 lactations corresponding to 150 buffaloes of Buffalypso breed between 1997 and 2005. The statistical package SAS (2007), version 9.1.13 was used with the application of a mixed model including six herds, nine calving years (1997-2000) and two calving seasons as fixed effects and as random, each animal dwelling in each herd. Accumulated milk yield was calculated up to 100 (M100) and 200 d (M200). From there, the relationships between these periods PI = (M200-M100)/L100)*100 and P2 = (M200-M100)/M200)* were evaluated. Means were 81.62 and 43.60%, respectively. The factors herd, year and calving season affected the persistency measurements 1 and 2. The correlations between persistency and production traits were medium and negative. These results are preliminary, since only Granma data were considered. However, the calculated measurement of persistency by the method I showed the best results and showed high variability (57%). Further studies are necessary on this trait with higher number of observations for allowing the adoption of practical decisions and its possible inclusion in selection programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examined the productive and reproductive performance of Siboney de Cuba cattle in two regions according to trait and region. The study was conducted on 40 herds in the Havana province and 16 herds in Pinar del Rio. It has been found that the most importance factor affecting traits is the year because it demonstrates that the general performance of the animals was sharply affected throughout the period of financial difficulties.

A total of 1,365 milk weighings from 455 goats of Alpine genotype were used, with lactation number between one and six, distributed in five units in the farm "Dagame", belonging to the Empresa Genética "Los Naranjos", located in Artemisa province, where parturitions occurred between 2005 and 2008. The objective was to determine non-genetic factors that affect the persistence of lactation and estimate its correlation with total milk production. A generalized mixed model was applied by the SAS MIXED procedure version 9.3 (2013), where fixed effects like herd, parturition year, parturition season (January-May and June-December) and lactation number were included, as well as the animal nested within each herd as random effect. In addition, the duration of lactation was included as a covariate. To estimate Pearson correlations, the CORR procedure of SAS was applied. Persistence was 53.6 % and the studied non-genetic factors were significant. The phenotypic correlations of persistence with total milk were 0.26. It can be concluded that persistence of lactation had a low phenotypic correlation, in relation to milk production and duration of lactation. Further researches should be conducted with larger samples and genealogical information to recommend its inclusion in genetic improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the impact of some reproductive indicators of the White New Zealand, Cuban Brown and White Semigiant breeds in the years 2012-2013 and 2015-2016, information on the daily movement of the herd was used. The data matrix was constituted by 144 observations and five variables (144 x 5). The variables under study were: number of born alive and dead, mating and kindlings, per day. With the application of the Statistical Model of Impact Measurring (SMIM), two components that determine the reproductive efficiency, the number of young rabbits, formed by the live and dead born and the breed were identified, while the number of reproductive events constituted the mating and kindlings per day, results that allowed typifying the performance of the three breeds. For component one, the White Semigiant showed a different pattern to that of the other two breeds, with positive impact indexes (0 to 2.5). In general, the impact on component two, for the three breeds races, showed positive values (0 to 1.5) in 2013 and negative (0 to -2.5) in 2016. The classification technique identified two groups, the first represented by 47 from Cuban Brown and 33 from White New Zealand, while the second grouped, fundamentally, the White Semigiant (48 individuals). The usefulness of this model was showed in the evaluation of the impact of reproductive indicators and the typification of three breeds performance, which can be applied in decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The productive and reproductive performance of a water buffalo enterprise located in Mayabeque province, Cuba, was studied from a database with 815 observations of eight herds in milking, 10 years of parturition (2004-2013), two calving periods (season: July-October and out of season: November-June), as well as six lactation orders (1-5 and 6 more). Total milk, lactation duration, period between parturitions, dry period, service period and milk per day of period between parturitions were evaluated. Data were processed in SAS, version 9.3, using Proc Glimmix. Effects of herd, parturition year, lactation season and lactation order were considered as fixed. The random effect was animal nested in the herd. The most probable production capacity of each female water buffalo was obtained, according to milk per day of period between parturitions from individual BLUPs. All evaluated fixed effects were significant, except lactation order for lactation duration. Values of the least squares constants were: total milk (341-704 kg), lactation duration (198-248 d), period between parturitions (367-445 d), dry period (86-204 d), service period (26-105 d) and milk per day of the period between parturitions (0.86- 1.79 kg/d) according to the considered delivery year. The period of parturation from July to October, favored all indicators: total milk (630 vs. 495 kg), lactation duration (230-208 d), period between parturitions (379 vs. 424 d), dry period ( 111 vs. 170 d), service period (46 vs. 83 d) and milk per day of the period between parturitions (1.71 vs. 1.17 d). The most like production capacity CMPP varied between 97.81 and 102.43 %, indicating the possibility of positive or negative selection from this indicator. It is considered that milk indicators should be improved, as they are the result of the growth in number of animals and low selection. Productive ones are acceptable. It is considered that both can be improved if a preliminary selection is used according to the most probable production capacity of milk per day of the period between parturitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean lactation curve of crossbred female buffaloes (Buffalypso x Carabao) was characterized in the Genetic Cattle Enterprise "El Cangre". A total of 18 412 productions of the control day (PCD) out of 1 377 female buffaloes were used. The minimum square constants of the PCD were obtained with the Mixed procedure of the SAS. The hyperbolic, square logarithmic, incomplete gamma, Wilmink, linear-square segmented polynomial, square-square segmented polynomial um linear function and polynomial with three square segments were used for adjusting the curve through the NLIN of SAS. When selecting the best model, the determination coefficient, adjusted determination coefficient, estimation standard error, model signification test, the test of Durbin Watson, the test of "Lack of Fit", distribution of the residues and deviation between the total observed and estimated milk productions were considered. The means of the PCD were between 2.15 ± 0.04 kg and 4.19 ± 0.03 kg. The lactation peak occurred in the second month with production of 4.03 kg. The goodness of it and discrimination between the models demonstrated high it in the square logarithmic model and polynomials, with two and three square segments. However, the polynomial with three square segments (Y=3.5281+ 0.6903X-0.1791X²+0.1818Z1+0.0922Z2) had significant parameters with the highest it values and estimated with precision all the phases of the curve. It is considered that this model represented the best the mean lactation curve of the female buffaloes under the conditions of the enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy performance of crossbred buffalo cows was characterized using 18 412 milk yields on the test-day and accumulated milk yields (2 575, 1 838 and 1 155) at 100,200 and 244 d of lactation, respectively. Animals belonged to 37 herds of the Crossbreeding enterprise "El Cangre". The Mixed procedure of SAS was applied to analyze the fixed effects: calving year (7), calving season (2), herd (37), lactation number (9), test-day order (9) and random effect of each animal living in the herd (1377). Yield means on the test-day was 3.4 kg and adjusted to 244 d of 860.3 kg. The first lactation was of lowest yield, with 2.58 ± 0.03 kg on the test-day and accumulated milk yield at 100, 200 and 244 d: 346.6 ± 5.0 kg, 629.2 ± 12.5 kg and 762.1 ± 19.8 kg. Buffalo cows calving in July-October showed the highest yields: 3.27 ± 0.03 kg, 425.9 ±4.6 kg, 768.0 ± 11.1 kg and 923.8 ±16.9 kg, respectively. Accumulated milk yield at 244 d was maintained constant from 2004 to 2009. In the studied population there were productive fluctuations associated to the effects of the number of lactation, test-day order, herd, season and calving year. General means were above to what was reported in Cuba in previous studies. However, a tendency towards a productive rise is not described. Genetic and environmental measurements are required to attain better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 40 042 records of milk production accumulated up to 305 d (L305), of 15 260 Mambi de Cuba cows (3/4 Holstein 1/4 Zebu), from four genetic enterprises and 177 herds were used. The study purpose was assessing the existence or not of interaction genotype-environment (IGE) for dairy production in two production levels: normal (P1, of the calving years 1981-1990) and low (P2, of the calving years 1991-2006). A univaried animal model was applied for estimating the genetic parameters and values (GV) in both production levels and years (P3, of the calving years from 1981 to 2006). The combination herd-year-four-month period of calving, age at calving as linear and square co-variable, the animal random effects, the effect of the permanent environment and the residues were included as fixed effects. The Pearson's correlations between the GV of the 39 sires represented in both production levels were estimated. The heritability and repeatability were: 0.227 ± 0.029 and 0.473 ± 0.008, 0.059 ± 0.015 and 0.266 ± 0.014, 0.170 ± 0.020 and 0.418 ± 0.006, for the levels P1, P2 and P3, respectively. The correlation between the GV of the sires in P1 and P2 was of 0.66, so the effect of the interaction genotype-environment was proved. It is concluded that the environmental conditions should be considered for using the Mambi de Cuba sires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records, between 1980 and 2006, of dairy females of the Mambi de Cuba breed (3/4 Holstein 1/4 Zebu), from four cattle rearing units were used to estimate the parameters and genetic tendencies of the growth traits up to reproduction (17 434 heifers), milk yield (50 420 lactations of 20 687 cows), reproduction (16 526 reproductive events of 5 881 cows), longevity (11 338 cows), survival and permanence (12 865 cows). A univariate animal model was used for estimating heritability, repeatability and breeding values, including the year-four month period-herd combination and the calving year as linear and quadratic co-variable as fixed effects, and the permanent environment and error as random effects. The heritabilities had values from moderate to low, with higher estimates for the weight per incorporation age (WIA) (0.20), calving interval (CI) (0.06), milk yield up to 244 d (M244) and 305 d (M305) (0.15), fat percentage (FP) (0.19), calving number (CN) (0.06) and 18 months of productive life (S18) (0.05). The highest repeatability estimate was for M244 y M305, with 0.42. The genetic tendencies for WIA, CI, M305, productive life (PL) and P36 were of 0.02 ± 0.01 g/d/year, -1.53 ± 0.16 d/year, -2.52 ± 1.10 kg/year, 0.05 ± 0.03 months/year and 0.0004 ± 0.0002 months/year, respectively. It was concluded that there was no change in the population means because the genetic tendencies had low values (between 0.001 and 0.31 % of the mean), due to the instability of the progeny tests and to the little female selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to estimate the genetic parameters and the phenotypic and genetic trends of the CI and its relationship with the MY305, 16 526 records of the calving interval (CI) and the milk yield accumulated up to 305 d (MY305) of 5 881 Mambí de Cuba cows (3/4 Holstein 1/4 Zebu), were used. The records were from four cattle units and 171 herds. The records corresponded to the period of 1981- 2006. An univariate animal model was used, including as fixed effects the combination herd-year-calving period of four months; calving age, as linear and quadratic covariable, and as random effects the animal, the permanent environment and the residuals, to estimate the heritability and the repeatability of the CI. A bivariate animal model was applied to estimate the genetic and environmental correlation between the CI and the MY305. The estimates of heritability and repeatability for the CI were of 0.06 ± 0.01 and 0.20 ± 0.01, respectively. The phenotypic trend for the CI was of 3.13 ± 1.12 days.year-1 and the genetic trend of -1.53 ± 0.16 days.year-1. The genetic and environmental correlations between the CI and the MY305 were of 0.72 ± 0.06 and 0.01 ± 0.01, respectively. It was concluded that the increase in the phenotypic trend for the CI in the Mambi de Cuba cattle was explained by environmental causes and not by the deterioration in the genetic merit. The correlation between the CI and the MY305 was opposite, thus, the increment in the capacity of milk yield of the cows will reduce the reproductive efficiency of the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The records of the culls from reproduction of 6405 Mambi de Cuba (3/4 Holstein-1/4 Cebu) cows, corresponding to the period from 1983 to 2005, were used to characterize the longevity and determine the influence of environmental and genetic effects. A linear model of fixed effects was applied through the proceeding of GLM of SAS to study the effects of the herd, age at first calving in classes (between <27 and >63), first year of calving (1980-2003), bimester of first calving (6) and year x bimester interaction. The heritabilities were estimated through the MTDFREML software, with the utilization of a Single-Trait Animal Model. The year-season of first calving-herd and the error were considered as fixed effects. The general means for age at last calving (Eupar), age at culling (AC), duration of the productive life (PL), number of calvings in the complete life (NC) and the indicators AC/NC, PL/NC and reproductive efficiency ([12/(CN-1))] x 100) were of 87.5 ± 0.4 months, 99.5 ± 0.4 months, 60.5 ± 0.4 months, 4.2 ± 0.1, 30.7 ± 0.1 months, 14.2 ± 0.1 months and 64.0 ± 0.2 %, respectively. The increase in age at first calving above the 30 months increased the AC/NC, and above 36, decreased the PL and the NC. This evidences the need of decreasing the age at first calving below 30 months in this herd. The heritabilities of the traits of longevity and reproductive efficiency had values between 0.13-0.17 and 0.08-0.10, respectively. The heritabilities of the traits of longevity and milk yield were similar. In future works, both traits will be evaluated together to have a comprehensive genetic improvement in this breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heritabilities and the breeding trends were estimated in milk yield traits (4 114 lactations of 1 257 cows, daughters of 107 sires and 913 dams) and in the reproduction (3 654 matings of 1 073 cows, daughters of 109 sires and 818 dams) of the breed Mambí de Cuba in the farm "Bijirita" in the Havana City province between 1976 and 2002. The software MTDFREML was used with a single-trait animal model including the fixed effects of the combination year-four-month-herd and the number of lactations or number of calving, as well as the effects of the permanent environment. The traits analyzed were: milk accumulated up to 244 d, total milk, lactation length, number of services per pregnancy, calving-first interval service and calving interval. The arithmetic means for each were of 2682 ± 16 kg, 3035 ± 20 kg, 294 ± 1 d, 2.6 ± 0.1, 89.7 ± 1.8 g, and 444 ± 2.2 d. The estimates of the heritabilities were of 0.17 ± 0.01, 0.19 ± 0.03, 0.01 ± 0.02, 0.01 ± 0.01, and 0.07 ± 0.03, respectively. The genetic trend for the total milk yield was of 4.91 kg/year, and it was of 0.14 and 0.35 d/year for the calving-first service interval and calving interval, respectively. It is concluded that, regardless the deterioration of the environmental conditions in the last years affecting the phenotypic expressions, the breeding value for the milk yield in this population was increased, particularly on the dam's side, without any deterioration of the breeding values of the reproductive traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lactation records of from 1984 to 2002 of the breed Mambí de Cuba were used (42 951 lactations). The animals used belonged to the Cattle Genetics Enterprise of Matanzas. The following traits were analyzed: milk production and fat accumulated up to 244 d, 305 d and total. A lineal model of fixed effects through the procedure GLM of SAS, version 6.12 was used to know the effect of the calving year (19), the calving bimester (6), the number of lactations (11), the herd (189) and the interaction year x calving bimester. Another analysis substituted the number of lactations by the age at calving in classes. The average for the total milk was of 2255.4 kg in 288.9 d of lactation, while 80.0 kg was for total fat and its percentage was of 3.38 %. The highest productions for milk and fat were obtained from the 4th to the 7th week of lactation, corresponding with the 69 to 99 months of age. For the fat percentages, the highest productions were obtained in the 2nd and 3rd lactations. It is concluded that there was a very important effect of the calving year and the herd, due to the influence of the period of shortness of input. This situation brought about a decrease of the productivity in 1403 kg of milk as average. Besides, from 1991 to 2002, the lactations increased below 180 d and those over 300 d due to the sub-feeding conditions of the animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study in Cuba to determine some traits of the reproductive performance of the Mambí de Cuba cattle breed and its crossings. The influence of different environmental factors was also analyzed to know which were the ones affecting the most this breed since its formation.

The article provides a study which calculated the growth genetic parameters in the breeds California, Chinchilla, Semigiant and New Zealand White by the sire's model (SM) and the animal model (AIREML). The genetic and getotypic correlations in the study were homogeneous among the breeds. In the study, there was no evidence of the maternal effect and the variability of the litter effect was greater than that of the direct effect.

The article presents a study which examined the reproductive and pre-weaning performance of purebred imported rabbits in Cuban conditions. The materials and methods used are described, as well as the statistics of fertility and prolificacy. Results showed that the differences of the imported breeds, compared to that of the national breeds, indicated which of the imported breeds can make a more interesting contribution to the national breeds.

The article presents a study which compared four breeds of rabbit in a genetic unit with restricted feeding of concentrate and forage in tropical conditions. The materials and methods used are described, as well as the number of observations per breed and year. It is concluded that the breeds have very variable reproductive performances according to the environmental conditions.

The article discusses research which evaluated the pre-weaning growth of imported rabbit breeds. Linear models of fixed effects were used to determine the post-weaning allocation of the breeds as well as their growth rates. The study suggests that there were effects between breeds and their interactions with year in most of the post-weaning growth traits.

This article presents a study that examined productive indicators and the influence of environmental effects on each breed of rabbits and on the population. Cuban Semi-Giant, Chinchilla, New Zealand and California are the breeds analyzed in this study. The preweaning stages considered in each breed are cited. Results of the study showed that month and year were highly significant for all traits and breeds. It also found that the only traits influenced by all the effects were fertility, the percentage of weaned litters (WL) and litter weight (LW).

The milk yield capacity of the buffalo species was evaluated. It was considered the milk yield per milking plus that estimated from the weight gain per milk consumed by the buffalo calf since birth. The data (average every year) was collected from a dairy unit with 26 dams and one sire. Seventy-six lactations were analyzed for three consecutive years (1st -3rd lactations). The dairy unit was managed in grazing conditions, without supplementation, and with the use of mechanical milking (one per day) and the suckling buffalo calf. Mathematical models of fixed effects were used to study the influence exerted by the calving number, the calf sex, the calving season (July-August, September-June), and the birth year. Linear and quadratic adjustments were performed for the age of the dams at calving in the measurements, which were significant in most of the cases (except milk at 200 d). The general means were: collected milk/buffalo cow (820 kg), milk for the calf weight gain (889 kg), potential total milk (1709 kg), calf weight adjusted at 8 months (126 kg), weight gain from birth to weaning (89 kg), and daily pre-weaning weight gain (0.368 kg). The sex of the buffalo calf did not affect the measurements. The calvings out of season had the highest indices due to the higher milk intake by the buffalo calves. It is considered that in the conditions analyzed, the buffalo cows (Bufalipso) have capacity to produce milk and raise buffalo calves (1709 kg of total milk for both aims) and that these indicators may be superior if some factors of management and feeding are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the influence of some factors on the birth weight of buffalo calves of the Bufalipso breed in Cuba. Data from a buffalo milking unit at the Institute of Animal Science in Havana were analyzed to examine numerous factors that affect birth weight of river buffaloes. In a lineal model fixed effect, calving number, sex, birth season and year were studied. Those born out of the September-June season had lower weight, attributed to a lower availability of feed before calving.