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The management complexity of a farm along with the fact that Mexico has a great amount of small and medium-sized farms implies that the only alternative for improving their productivity and competency is the access to the integral, qualified and professional advising services. Given this fact, in the 80's, approximately 25,000 advisers were employed by the Mexican government for these purposes. Even though the program disappeared, other programs were implemented later on. These, however, were not effective. This is why from 2002 to the present; AGROPEC Star and the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo have created a methodology for the development of farms based on professional advising services in 20 farms. This methodology contemplates: 1. Actualization of the integral management of farms. 2. Transference of computer and communication technology to the advisers (Internet and AGROPEC Star software). 3. Elaboration of an integral, cooperative diagnosis and strategic analyses. 4. Elaboration, implementation and following of a Strategic Plan of Re-engineering Processes (SPRP) for the identified problems. 5. Implementation of a control, following and integral evaluation mechanism in the farms. 6. Specialized permanent consultancy by Internet. 7. Training programs for the producer and personnel. 8. Specialized consultancy in field. 9. Pursuit and evaluation of the performance of the advisers. 10. Entailment of the productive chain with the universities. The use of this methodology allows: updating for advisors, the generation and use of digitalized indicators of all the farms, development of research projects applied to the identified problems, and student participation to improve their professional performance in the advising market to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work was to evaluate the impact of the CHAPINGOAGROPEC Star Integral Advising and Consultancy Strategic Model in the development of a dairy farm in the state of Jalisco, Mexico from January, 2004 to December 2005. The model consisted in: 1. Advisor actualization. 2. Use of computer technology tools, AGROPEC Star software and Internet in the process; 3. Elaboration of an integral, cooperative diagnosis and strategic analysis. 4. Elaboration, implementation and following of a Strategic Plan of Re-engineering Processes (SPRP) for the identified problems. 5. Pursuit and integral evaluation of the farm and the adviser. 6. Training programs for the producer and personnel. 7. Permanent consultancy via Internet. 8. Entailment of the productive chain with universities. The farm has 105 cows and 80 heifers of Holstein breed. The cattle were confined, AI was used and their feeding was with corn silage, alfalfa and concentrates. It has advisory services as well. The results were: a) Actualization programs in five areas given to the adviser. b) Problems identified by the diagnosis (initial value) and monitor progress with the SPRP (final value): Age at first parturition (25.47 - 24.68 m), parturition-first service interval (80.82 - 75.39 d), parturition-conception interval (134.16 - 108.65 d), conception rate (41.74 - 48.24 %), milk production average (21.40 - 22.27 L), days in production (353 - 357), dry days (63.41 - 59.83); c) Elaboration of an organizational chart and a procedures manual. d) Training programs in three areas given to the personnel. e) Evaluation of the adviser performance considering farm progress. f) Involvement of a student and professors in the work. The advisory model improved the productive performance, administrative process and personnel attitude; the latter was the most important for the solution of the main problems. The use of a digitized platform by the producer, adviser and consultant facilitates the farms development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of short-term relocation and male exposure on receptivity rate, kindling rate and total born per litter in lactating does under an artificial insemination (AI) programme. Thirty-two, 2-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: (1) relocation and male exposure; (2) relocation without male exposure; (3) no relocation with male exposure; (4) no relocation without male exposure (control). Relocation and male exposure were done 8–10 h before the time of service. First insemination was when does reached 3200 g body weight and does were bred 4–13 days after parturition across parities during a 6 month reproduction period. Of all breeding records, 125 inseminations and 91 kindlings were from nursing does. The mean interval from parturition to insemination for nursing does was 10.3 days. Relocation of lactating does resulted in greater (P<0.01) receptivity rate at service (74.8%) as compared with no relocation (55%). Receptivity rate was not influenced by male exposure. However, the interaction of relocation × male exposure tended to be significant (P=0.07). Receptivity rate in relocated does exposed to males was 62.8 and 86.7% without exposure while in non-relocated does male exposure showed no effect. Kindling rate was not influenced by relocation or male exposure. The mean total born per litter in relocated and non-relocated does was 8.05±0.33 and 7.39±0.36, respectively, but no significant difference was observed. There was no effect of male exposure on total born per litter (7.85±0.34 versus 7.59±0.34 without male exposure). However, interaction of relocation × male exposure on this variable was significant (P=0.009). Male exposure in relocated does decreased the size of the litter (7.52±0.46 versus 8.58±0.47 without male exposure) whereas mean values in non-relocated does increased when they were exposed to males (8.18±0.52 versus 6.60±0.49). Short-term relocation improved receptivity rate and reproduction in lactating does under an artificial insemination programme. Preliminary results indicated that male exposure in non-relocated does improves the total born per litter at a similar level than relocated does without male exposure. Relocation combined with male exposure decreased receptivity rate and total born per litter as compared with relocated does without male exposure, but the reproductive performance in the former was greater as compared with those does where no relocation occurred without male exposure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]