Resumen

VERDE, Omar. The Experimental Station “La Cumaca” and Its Impact on The Improvement of Production in Venezuelan Brahman. Rev. Fac. Cienc. Vet. [online]. 2016, vol.57, n.1, pp.15-21. ISSN 0258-6576.

The implementation and operation of the production system at the Experimental Station “La Cumaca” is described, including aspects of management, nutrition, health, reproduction, genetics, production monitoring, data analysis, and genetic evaluation. In 50 years (1965 to 2014), with 6859 cows exposed to bulls, there was a 75.8% of pregnancy; 71.5% of births, 5.64% of prenatal loss, 66.7% of weaned animals, and 63.9% of live animals at 18 months, with 6.7% mortality between birth and weaning and 10.7% between birth and 18 months. In heifers, pregnancy was 83.27% and 56.25% for first lactating cows, and above 78% in second or more parturitions. Average age at birth (AB) was 5.74 years, with 59.4% of females between 3 and 5 years and about 90% of the herd with less than 10 years of AB. Annual phenotypic averages ranged between 24.6-34.8 kg for birth weight (BW); 141.5-176.4 kg for weight at 205 days (W205), and 256.4-363.6 kg for weight at 548 days (W548), with annual trends of 201, 12 and 1340 g in the three weights. Genetic progress obtained was 74 g for direct effect on WB, 18 g for maternal effect on WB, while the corresponding values for W205 were 334 and 158 g, and 734 g for total W548. Scrotal circumference averaged 28.9 ± 3.3 cm, with genetic annual trend of 0.10 cm. Interval between day of beginning service season and parturition averaged 333.5 ± 38.4 d, with h2 of 0.16. 26.7% of females born were present in the herd at six years of age, and 31.4% of those who reached 18 months of age. In these two groups, the number of births produced was 1.4 and 1.6, and calves weaned up to six years weighed 205.6 and 226.6 kg, respectively. It is concluded by noting its educational impact and effective contribution to improving domestic livestock.

Palabras clave : Brahman; annual trends; production system.

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