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a b s t r a c t We aimed to characterize differences between sheep farms in wolf habitat in Slovenia that either suffered from wolf attacks (n = 30) or not (n = 30) during the pasture seasons 2008-2010. Main pasture season was from April until November. Median fenced pastures were 2.7 ha and herd size was 93 sheep. The three-year period contained 288 attacks, mostly occurring in May (36), and secondly peaking in October (23). 78% of all attacks occurred at night. Significantly fewer non-attacked than attacked farms had mixed herds (17% versus 40%). Wolves killed a median of 4 sheep per attack. If herds included goats, 2 goats could be killed in addition. Sheep were driven to a night facility before dusk by 43% of non-attacked farmers, and significantly fewer attacked farms (10%). Significantly fewer attacked than non-attacked farms kept sheep in closed night barns or a separately fenced night-area (20% versus 50%). Guarding dogs (usually 2 per herd) were kept by 53% attacked and 43% non- attacked farms. Average fence height was 115 cm and did not differ between attacked or non-attacked farms. 87% non-attacked farms had wire-mesh fences (either electric or not) instead of fences with horizontal single wires, which was significantly more than at attacked farms (61%). Significantly more attacked (89%) than non-attacked farms (60%) had electric fences (mobile or fixed, fixed ones could be combined with physical fences). In spite of farmers using electric fences, annual attack number was significantly higher at farms with a history of wolf attacks than at new farms (4 versus 1). Electric fences or guarding dogs as used in the study area proved ineffective: they did not prevent wolf attacks or reduce killing rates. Adoption of mesh instead of single wires, polarity alternation of live with ground wires in electric fences, and fences higher than 145 cm seem improvements. However, potentially, improved fencing could also prevent sheep from breaking out, if wolves have found ways to enter the fenced area, and might result in surplus killing. Alternative strategies are: (1) to keep sheep in closed night barns and to move sheep there before dusk and (2) to research (a) wolf attack rates and feasibility of separating sheep and goat herds; (b) sheep and goat responses to predator attacks and methods that assist sheep and goats to avoid being attacked; (c) wolf deterring methods focused on systematic negative reinforcement of chasing and consumption of livestock.

Cika cattle are an indigenous breed in Slovenia, while the Simmental breed is a cosmopolitan breed. The fattening trial was prepared to investigate whether Cika bulls are suitable for beef production, and the Simmental bulls were kept for comparison. The aim of this study was to investigate if different feeding technologies affect the haematological parameters of Cika and Simmental bulls. Blood samples of 17 Cika and 19 Simmental young bulls were taken in tubes with EDTA. The number of erythrocytes (RBC), leucocytes (WBC) and platelets (PLT), and the values of haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (PCV), the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were measured with a haematological analyser ABC Vet. Differential white blood cells counts were also prepared. Data were analysed by the GLM procedure from the statistical package SAS/STAT regarding the breed, feeding technology and their interaction as fixed effects. In the blood of Cika bulls there was a significantly higher number of leucocytes as well as haemoglobin, haematocrit, MCV and MCH values than in the blood of Simmental bulls, while the number of platelets was higher in the blood of Simmental bulls. Different feeding technologies signifi cantly affected the erythrocyte count, and MCV and MCH values, where pasture reared bulls had lower erythrocyte and higher MCV and MCH values compared to stable fattened bulls. In the differential white blood cell count of Cika bulls there was a significantly higher percentage of segmented neutrophils and a lower percentage of lymphocytes compared to Simmental bulls., Cika je autohtona pasmina goveda u Sloveniji, dok je simentalska rasprostranjena diljem svijeta. Tijekom istraživanja, organiziran je pokusni tov kako bi se utvrdila prikladnost bikova pasmine cika za proizvodnju junećeg mesa. Bikovi simentalske pasmine poslužili su za usporedbu. Cilj je bio istražiti je li različite tehnologije hranidbe utječu na hematološke pokazatelje kod bikova cika i simentalske pasmine. Uzorci krvi od 17 cika i 19 simentalskih bikova prikupljeni su u epruvete uz dodatak EDTA. Uz pomoć ABC Vet. analizatora utvrđen je broj eritrocita, leukocita, trombocita, te vrijednosti hemoglobina, hematokrita (engl. PCV), prosječni sadržaj hemoglobina u eritrocitima (engl. MCH), prosječna koncentracija hemoglobina po eritrocitu (engl. MCHC) i prosječni obujam eritrocita (engl. MCV). Također su utvrđene i razlike u tipu i broju leukocita. Podatci su analizirani pomoću GLM postupka statističkog programa SAS/STAT uz uvažavanje pasmine, tehnologije hranidbe i njihove interakcije kao fiksnih učinaka. U krvi bikova pasmine cika ustanovljen je signifikantno veći broj leukocita te veće vrijednosti za hemoglobin, hematokrit, MCV i MCH u odnosu na krv bikova simentalske pasmine. Istovremeno, broj trombocita bio je veći u krvi bikova simentalske pasmine. Različite tehnologije hranidbe signifikantno su utjecale na broj eritrocita, te vrijednosti MCV i MCH, pri čemu su pašno uzgojeni bikovi u odnosu na bikove uzgojene u staji imali manji broj eritrocita i veće vrijednosti MCV odnosno MCH. Razlike u tipu i broju leukocita pokazale su da bikovi pasmine cika, u usporebi s bikovima simentalske pasmine, imaju signifikantno veći postotak segmentiranih neutrofila i manji postotak limfocita.

Twenty-eight (12 male and 16 female) of improved Jezersko-solèava lambs with Romanov (JSR) were used to evaluate the effect of live weight and sex on carcass traits and meat quality. Lambs were weaned at around 60 days of age. They were fed with commercial concentrate and hay ad libitum and slaughtered at 29 kg or 43 kg of average live weight at 105 or 126 days of age. Daily gain from birth to slaughter was higher than 300 g/day and was very similar for both groups. There were no differences between light and heavy lambs in carcass conformation and dressing percentage. Heavy lambs were longer, wider and fatter. The difference in lungs, head and pelt percentage were statistically significant. With increased live weight at slaughter the percentage of neck, back and rib with flank increased and chuck, shoulder and hindleg decreased. Muscle percentage in hindleg increased and bone percentage decreased as live weight increased. Considering meat quality, heavier lambs had lower lightness and higher redness. Lighter lambs had higher pH45 value. Differences between sexes were statistically significant for dressing percentage and carcass fatness with higher values for females. Males had higher percentage of liver and head, higher proportion of neck, chuck and shoulder and lower proportion of back and loin. Males tended to have higher values for muscle and bone proportion, and lower proportion of fat in hindleg. Males had lighter meat. Sex had no effect on pH values.

The Istrian Milk sheep is an endangered breed of the Pramenka group raised in the North-Adriatic Karst region. Carcass and meat characteristics of 46 suckling, 6- to 14- week-old intact male light lambs from two feeding systems were analysed. Thirty-two lambs were raised in a flock fed only with forage (hay supplied in stall during winter or fresh herbage directly grazed during the other seasons). The lambs had free access to the forage supplied to their dams (feeding sys- tem: milk and forage; MF). The other fourteen suckling ovine were grown on a farm with a feeding system incorporat- ing a concentrated supply of the forage base. The lambs were stabled and creep fed on a concentrate (20% CP) at a daily rate of 100 g/head, in addition to the suckled milk (feeding system: milk and concentrate; MC). The carcasses were divid- ed into three categories of weight, following the Community scale of light lambs classification: A (lesser than or equal to 7 kg, n=17), B (7.1-10 kg, n=15) and C (10.1-13 kg, n=14). The frequency of 1st quality carcasses increased with carcass weight, reaching 100% in category C. On average, 72% of the carcasses were scored as 1st quality, without significant differences between feeding systems. The lightness of lamb meat from A carcasses was higher than that from the heaviest ones. Cooking losses showed a pattern opposite to that of pH (mean 5.44; SE 0.058), increasing where pH decreased (cate- gories A and B and concentrate-fed lambs). Shear force values were significantly affected by factors linked to the feed- ing system; in fact, MC lambs provided more tender meat than MF ones (32.6 vs 46.6 N). As carcass weight increased, moisture concentration decreased steadily (from 77.8% to 75.5%), while lipid content increased progressively (from 1.58% to 3.14%). In agreement with these patterns, the contribution of individual fatty acids (FA) to muscle weight gen- erally increased with carcass weight. A similar trend was observed for the relative concentration of saturated FA and monounsaturated FA, while that of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) showed an opposite evolution. The feeding system modi- fied the relationship between ω3 and ω6 PUFA series: with respect to MC meat, MF meat presented a higher content of linolenic acid and its long chain ω3 derivatives and a lower content of linoleic acid and its major product, arachidonic acid. As a consequence, MF lambs furnished meat with a ω3/ω6 ratio and an index of thrombogenicity more favourable for human health than those from MC lambs.