Development of China's animal production in the last twenty years regarding farm animal diversity and the risk it faces in China are presented. The approaches of animal genetic resources conservation to satisfy a sustained development for animal production in future are expressed. Six approaches and measures are recommended.

Studies were conducted on two calves and a pregnant female captured from the forest to assess the feed utilization, growth pattern and milk composition in Mithun (Bos frontalis), a rare bovine species of north-eastern India. The DMI, kg/100 kg body weight was 0.05 with DM and OM digestibility of 56.95 ± 3.68 and 58.46 ± 3.51 percents, respectively, in calves. The growth was more during the May to October months, however, the average growth of 181.26 ± 23.51 g day-1 was obtained during the year on grazing. The Mithun was not a milk yielder, but became accustomed to milking. Fat content in milk varied from 6.8 to 7.8%. The total solids, protein, lactose, ash and solid not fat (SNF) were estimated at 18.0, 4.9, 5.0, 0.8 and 10.7% respectively with COB negative at 4°C. The birth weight of the male calf was estimated at 22.0 kg, and an average growth of 325.14 g day-1 was determined in 214 days with maximum weight gain during the first two months of age.

The Tswana cattle breed is indigenous to Botswana. Its popularity and numbers in the national herd is declining due to crossbreeding. This paper presents results of work done so far to characterise the breed for milk and beef production and describes the current breed conservation program. Suggestions on more characterisation work and improvement on the conservation program are given.

The authors describe the evolution, morphological characteristics, body weights, body measurements and production performance of three indigenous cattle breeds in Bhutan, namely the Siri, Mithun cross Siri (Jatsha for male and Jatsham for female) and first backcross hybrids (Yangka for male and Yangkum for female). The data was collected through a sample survey which was conducted in Lobesa block of Thimphu district in April/May 1995 near the Natural Resources Training Institute (NRTI). Observations were recorded from 44 Siri (22 bulls and 22 cows), 10 Mithun cross Siri (5 Jatshas and 5 Jatshams) and 8 first backcross hybrids (5 Yangkas and 3 Yangkums). The aim of this breed description is to assist in developing the future conservation strategies of the indigenous breeds in Bhutan.

Senegal owns an important and growing equine livestock. The horse takes a preponderant position in the Senegalese economy. Much appreciated as light draught animal for ploughing and transport and as race horse, MBayar pony, the most important indigenous breed, is docile, sober and tough.

The study was performed on 612 Mbayar horses between October 1994 and January 1996. Moreover 397 animals were examined during veterinarian consultations.

Under rural conditions, the age of first foaling is about 4 years. The fecundity rate is 41.7 %. The birth weight is 30.2 ± 2.2 kg and yearling weight 134.7 ± 33.0 kg. At mature age, the male weight is 245.6 ± 34.0 kg and the female 230.9 ± 29.7 kg. The perinatal mortality rate is 13 %.

Malnutrition, lack of care, overwork, and prophylactic measures and the low knowledge along with low income of the breeders explain the poor productivity of this indigenous breed.

A research carried out in the research station for several years on the reproduction of Burundese sheep and goats showed that these two species reached an interesting productivity estimated at, respectively, 25 and 33 kg of live weight/year for females. The figures in rural environment are lower, ranging between 9 and 27 kg. The wide heterogeneity of the individual performances suggests the possibility to consider a breeding programme based on selection milk production and growth rate in the two species in addition to prolificity in sheep.

The aim of the project is to seek new and more reliable methodologies to survey morphological parameters in domestic animals. The study describes the traditional tools adopted until today in the field of Zoometry and reports the methods independently set up by different research units, now combined into a single one. The approach was different in different applications but based on the same basic steps: video or photo shooting, computerised scanner image processing, achievement of precise body measurements and evaluation of the animals. The accuracy of the system was compared with the body measurements obtained manually and the results gave maximum difference of 1.1%. When warm carcass percentage was estimated by body measurements the observed error was 2.5%. The advantages of these new techniques are considerable, in terms of both accuracy of measurements and capability to survey new morphological parameters such as angles and surfaces, which are presently not measurable. The potentialities of the methodologies discussed allow more exact criteria of evaluation for the domestic and wild animals also when they are in natural living conditions. Moreover, the way is now opened to an improvement of the image acquisition techniques to calculate a tridimensional matrix.