A la suite de la conférence des Nations Unies sur l'environnement et le développement (CNUCED, Rio 7 juin 1992) et la convention globale sur la biodiversité, la FAO a programmé neuf missions à travers le monde pour identifier des projets pouvant contribuer à la conservation des ressources génétiques des animaux domestiques. Le présent papier expose le résultat de la mission concernant les pays d'Afrique francophone sub-saharienne. L'approche des races est fondée sur la prise en compte des contraintes du milieu, des objectifs de l'élevage, des marchés des produits et des structures sociales impliquées. L'inventaire fait ressortir la grande diversité des races d'animaux de ferme, liée à la diversité des modèles d'élevage et de leurs objectifs. Les races sont mal caractérisées, leurs effectifs sont mal connus. Les types génétiques sont adaptés à des modèles d'élevage en pleine évolution sous l'influence des marchés des produits et de la pression démographique. Les élevages intensifs (villageois ou industriels) se développent plus vite que les élevages extensifs (pastoraux ou de basse-cour). Il en résulte que les caractères génétiques privilégiés par les éleveurs évoluent profondément. Il est donc nécessaire de mieux caractériser les races d'animaux de ferme et de rechercher les critères d'adaptation du cheptel à une exploitation plus intensive et mieux orientée.

In recent years, Galician autochthonous cattle populations have declined to a situation of vulnerability, between the critical status (less than 100 breeding females, very reduced genetic variability) and the endangered status (from 100 to 1 000 breeding females, which is not sufficient to survive). In order to prevent eventual extinction, an Operative Programme to maintain a germplasm bank (semen and embryos) and animals in situ (cattle farms and natural reserves) has been established to ensure preservation and facilitate study from the ethnological, productive and reproductive point of view. Five herds of Cachena, Caldelana, Frieiresa, Limiana and Vianesa breeds, have been studied for census, habitat, morphological characters, animal breeding, productive character, seminal quality of bulls and reproductive performances.

Hassawi cattle breed is a mix of Bos indicus and Bos taurus. The cattle are raised in the Eastern province of the country by farming families in mixed farming system. The breed numbers are declining very fast, from 10 449 head in 1986 to an estimated maximum of 4 500 head at present.

The decrease is mainly due to replacement by exotic breeds, the indiscriminate crossing with these exotics, particularly in view of the scarcity of the Hassawi bulls for mating. Animals are small in size, mature body weight 210-270 kg for bulls and 150-200 kg for cows, quite uniform in colour (light red) and body conformation have conspicuously reduced dewlap and umbilical folds and relatively large hump. Animals are heat tolerant, sustain high feed intake under ambient temperature, resistant to many diseases prevailing in the region and cows have good mothering ability. Productivity of the breed in terms of meat and milk is low when compared to that of exotics in high input production environments, but reproduction performance excels that of temperate breeds and zebu cattle.

Efforts should be made to stop the decline in the breed numbers and to conserve the breed as an asset for production under harsh environment.

The objective of this study was to establish a breeding season and to evaluate the reproductive performance of a horse herd of the Pantaneira breed from Nhumirim Ranch in the lowlands of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. During the period 1990/91, the stallion was kept year-round with 17 mares. In the following year (91/92) a breeding season of seven months (Sept. 91 to Mar. 92) was established, in which the stallion and 15 mares were used. In the first period (90/91), the concentration of births occurred from September to December of 1991. The percentage of pregnancy and parturition observed in 90/91 and 91/92 for the male:female proportions of 1:17 and 1:15 were: 82.3, 100 and 86.7, 100%, respectively. In the breeding season from Oct. 91 to Feb. 92 with male/female ratios of A-1:11, B-1:10 and C-1:10, it was observed that the percentage of pregnancy was 90.9, 100 and 100%, respectively, with 100% parturition in the 3 groups. Independently of the number of females used (A-1:10, B-1:08, C-1:12), the rate of pregnancy obtained from the breeding season from Oct. 92 to Feb. 93 was 100%.

In this paper, the Hungarian Grey, a traditional draught and beef cattle was studied. This breed was threatened by extinction due to the mechanization of agriculture and propagation of upgraded breeds which had almost completely replaced it. Following a crisis in the 1960's (in 1966 only 470 dams were registered) a pioneering conservation scheme was introduced. Thanks to scientific breeding, the number of cows increased to approximately 1 600 and the risk of inbreeding has been avoided. In addition to a historical review, body conformation, production characteristics and modern forms of exploitation for this rare but genetically valuable breed are discussed.

This paper describes the zootechnical characteristics of the Pastoreño creole goat, representing the caprine population of the Low Mixteca region of Oaxaca State, Mexico.

These animals characteristically produce fattened goats for traditional slaughter at Christmas, to elaborate a typical dry meat product known as Chito. At present the exact individual population of this breed is not known. Those registered as Creoles in the animals census in general are known. This breed however has particular productive and morphological characteristics which make them very different from other creole caprines in the rest of the state and the country. Information on their distribution, origin, morphological characteristics, handling and productive systems is presented in this paper.

The breeding tract of Kathiawari horses is the Saurashtra region of Gujrat, comprising of the Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, Junagarh and Amreli districts. Kathiawari horses are reared for carting, riding, sports and transportation. The breed is closely related with the Marwari breed of Rajasthan. The most predominant body colour is chestnut in Kathiawari horses and black in Marwari horses. The capital nags of the Kathiawari breed are from 14 to 14.5 HH, sound, sure footed and hardy, fast and decidedly good looking. The herd size at farmer level varied from 1 to 4. In the study an attempt has been made to note the physical characteristics and management practices for rearing these horses in the breeding tract. Body measurement of Kathiawari and Marwari horses were recorded. It was observed that Kathiawari horses had a smaller body, shorter height, smaller heart girth, ears and face than the Marwari horses. The performance of the Kathiawari breed under intensive management was studied. The average age at first fertile service, and at first foaling, herd life, total foals during lifetime, gestation period, service period and foaling interval were 1 658±79 days, 1 989±80 days, 6 499±650 days, 4.93±0.52 foals, 333.58±1.76 days, 257.23±46.49 days and 597.76±49.70 days, respectively.

The intensive genetic improvement of laying hens has created a hen with an enormous laying capacity when producing in cage systems. In later years, however, it has been obvious that genes or gene combinations which facilitate the birds' ability to interact with other hens in a flock are lost or suppressed due to the narrow breeding goal which has been maximum egg yield in cage systems.