Ranta Mirela, Mălinaș Anamaria
Department of Plant Culture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Department of Environmental Protection and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 20;14(24):3686. doi: 10.3390/ani14243686.
Sustainable and climate-resilient livestock systems are increasingly necessary to balance food production demands with environmental conservation. Breeds such as Galloway (Ga) and Highland (Hi) cattle are recognized for their adaptability to extensive grazing systems, low input requirements, and ability to thrive on marginal lands. Despite their potential, research on the performance of Ga and Hi cattle in low-resource, extensive grazing systems, particularly in Romania, remains scarce. This study evaluated the performance of Ga and Hi beef cattle raised under low-input conditions with a focus on the following: (1) the average daily gain (ADG) on low- and medium-quality forage and (2) the cattle's adaptability to extensive grazing systems. The study, conducted at Cojocna Farm, Transylvania, Romania (2023-2024), involved five male and three female calves from each breed. Calves were weighed five times in the entire observation period, and feed quality was analyzed. The results showed that Ga calves, especially males, had a higher ADG than Hi calves (Ga = 676.91 g, Hi = 581.14 g), while females showed more consistent performance during winter feeding. Both breeds demonstrated strong adaptability and satisfactory performance under the extensive conditions of Transylvania, as evidenced by the comparison of the obtained ADG with the values provided by the National Breed Register. Future research should explore the long-term sustainability of these breeds in varying environmental conditions, to investigate genetic factors influencing performance, and assess the broader ecological and economic benefits of integrating Galloway and Highland cattle into diverse farming systems.
可持续且具有气候适应能力的畜牧系统对于平衡粮食生产需求与环境保护日益必要。加洛韦（Ga）牛和高地（Hi）牛等品种因其对粗放放牧系统的适应性、低投入需求以及在边际土地上茁壮成长的能力而闻名。尽管它们具有潜力，但关于Ga和Hi牛在资源匮乏的粗放放牧系统中的表现的研究仍然很少，特别是在罗马尼亚。本研究评估了在低投入条件下饲养的Ga和Hi肉牛的表现，重点关注以下方面：（1）低质量和中等质量牧草上的平均日增重（ADG），以及（2）牛对粗放放牧系统的适应性。该研究于2023 - 2024年在罗马尼亚特兰西瓦尼亚的科乔克纳农场进行，每个品种选取了五头雄性和三头雌性犊牛。在整个观察期内对犊牛进行了五次称重，并分析了饲料质量。结果表明，Ga犊牛，尤其是雄性犊牛，ADG高于Hi犊牛（Ga = 676.91克，Hi = 581.14克），而雌性犊牛在冬季饲养期间表现更为稳定。通过将获得的ADG与国家品种登记册提供的值进行比较可以证明，这两个品种在特兰西瓦尼亚的粗放条件下都表现出很强的适应性和令人满意的性能。未来的研究应探索这些品种在不同环境条件下的长期可持续性，研究影响性能的遗传因素，并评估将加洛韦牛和高地牛纳入多样化养殖系统的更广泛的生态和经济效益。
