Adriana Mello de Araújo

Genetic diversity between herds of Alpine and Saanen dairy goats and the naturalized Brazilian Moxotó breed

Brazilian naturalized goat breeds are adapted to the semiarid conditions prevalent in the Northeast region of the country (which has the largest Brazilian goat heard) and represent an as yet uninvestigated source of genetic diversity. Currently, imported goat breeds are crossed with Brazilian naturalized goat breeds, endangering the genetic potential of the naturalized breeds. We used 11 microsatellite markers to determine the genetic diversity among imported (non-naturalized) dairy Alpine and Saanen goats and naturalized Brazilian Moxoto goats. We genotyped 292 goats from three herds (one private, one from the University of Minas Gerais and the Moxoto conservation herd from Embrapa Caprinos) and found that the general heterozygosity was 0.6952 for Alpine, 0.7043 for Saanen and 0.4984 for Moxoto goats. The number of alleles ranged from 5 (INRA005) to 11 (BM3205), with an average of 7 alleles per locus in the imported breeds and 3.5 alleles per locus in the Moxoto breed. Mean differentiation between populations was higher for herds (FSTS = 0.0768) than for breeds (FSTP = 0.0263), indicating similarity between the imported breeds and the existence of crosses between them. Neis genetic distance was highest between the Moxoto breed and the imported breeds. These indicate that further studies using these molecular markers would be fruitful.

Características de reprodução e de crescimento de ovinos mestiços Santa Inês, no Ceará

The effect of environment and genotype on the Brazilian tropical sheep reproductive performance were evaluated on 480 native ewes, 48 Santa Ines rams and 1.474 F1 lambs from ten private farms in the state of Ceara. The studied traits were mating, fertility, prolificacy and weaning rates, as well as the weight gains at birth, 84 and 112 days, and average daily weight gains from birth to 56, from 56 to 84 and from birth to 112 days. There were effect of breed on the mating, fertility and weaning rates. The F1 ewes were less productive than the natives, but the 1/2 Santa Ines + 1/2 native and 3/4 Santa Ines + 1/4 native lambs had similar growth rates. There were also effect of ewe ages and farm effect on all studied traits, except for ewe ages on weaning rates. Birth year, birth type, farm and ram within the farm, generally, influenced the weights and weight gains in the growth phase. The heritabilities estimated for the weight gain ranged from 0.36 to 0.56, showing that there is a large possibility for improving the weight gain rates of crossbred lambs through mass selection.

Desempenho produtivo em caprinos mestiços no semi-árido do Nordeste do Brasil

The experiment was carried out to evaluated the reproductive traits of crossbred goats submitted to the semi-arid Notheast climate conditions. Data from 657 does kept in a native pasture and fed corn and soybean meal based diet, during the dry season, and 945 kids milked up 24 hours, were analyzed. The means for the does prolificacy and at kidding weight were respectively 1.69+.03 and 36.38+.03 kg for 1⁄2 Pardo Alpina (PA) + 1⁄2 Moxotó (MO), 1.59+.05 and 36.24+0.58 kg for 3⁄4 PA + 1⁄4 M0 and 1.78+.04 and 37.25+.46 kg for 1⁄2 Anglo-nubian + 1⁄4 PA + 1⁄4 MO (Tricross). The means for birth weight and at 28 days, at 56 days and at 84 days for the kids were respectively 2.26+.04; 4.02+.07; 6.93+.14 and 10.97+.03 kg, respectively, for 1/2 PA+1/2 MO; 2.46+.03; 4.32+.05; 7.85+.10 kg and 12.18+.19, and 2.46 + .03; 4.30+.04; 7.48+.09 and 11.86+0.17 kg, for Tricross. The crossbred does showed prolificacy similar to the native. The weight gain of kids 3⁄4 PA + 1⁄4 MO and Tricross were higher than for 1⁄2 PA + 1⁄2 MO, probably due to the higher percent of exotic blood in these genetic groups.

Associação entre o California Mastitis Test e a Contagem de Células Somáticas na avaliação da saúde da glândula mamária caprina

A correlacao entre os resultados do California Mastitis Test (CMT) e da Contagem de Celulas Somaticas (CCS) foi estudada em 68 cabras das racas Anglo-Nubiana, Pardo Alpina e Saanen. Os dados foram coletados quinzenalmente, durante sete meses, realizando-se a CCS em amostras de leite bacteriologicamente negativas. Os resultados mostraram uma correlacao positiva e significativa (p < 0,05) entre os testes avaliados, com um coeficiente de r = 0,63. Quando os testes foram correlacionados com a producao de leite, observou-se uma correlacao negativa e significativa (p < 0,05) de r = -0,27 e r = -0,28 para o CMT e a CCS, respectivamente. Na associacao das reacoes do CMT com a CCS obtiveram-se medias de 0,78 x 106 cels/ml para as reacoes negativas (N, T e 1+) e media de 5,32 x 106 cels/ml para as reacoes positivas (2+ e 3+). Os resultados indicam que, para evitar resultados falso-positivos, outros testes diagnosticos deverao ser usados juntamente com o CMT, para se avaliar a saude da glândula mamaria caprina.

Cluster evaluation of Brazilian and Moroccan goat populations using physical measurements

The aim of this study was to compare the genetic diversity of 12 populations of goats in Brazil and Morocco (n = 796) through the use of physical measurements and different multivariate techniques. Traits measured included wither height (WH), distance from the brisket to the ground (BH) and ear length (EL). The standardized Euclidean distance (D) was adopted. The D values were submitted to clustering analysis using hierarchical methods (from nearest neighbor and UPGMA - Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) and the numbers of clusters were analyzed using the Tocher optimization method. The population clustering was different depending on the method of analysis used. Among the hierarchical methods, UPGMA showed the best fit (CCC = 0.82). The Tocher method enabled the formation of four different clusters. Although the hierarchical and Tocher methods resulted in different cluster formations, both contributed to the interpretation of the genetic cluster divergence. The results obtained through UPGMA and Tocher optimization enable their use for future studies that may include a larger number of biometric variables on greater numbers of individuals and additional populations.

Biometric variability of goat populations revealed by means of principal component analysis

The aim was to analyze variation in 12 Brazilian and Moroccan goat populations, and, through principal component analysis (PCA), check the importance of body measures and their indices as a means of distinguishing among individuals and populations. The biometric measurements were wither height (WH), brisket height (BH) and ear length (EL). Thorax depth (WH-BH) and the three indices, TD/WH, EL/TD and EL/WH, were also calculated. Of the seven components extracted, the first three principal components were sufficient to explain 99.5% of the total variance of the data. Graphical dispersion by genetic groups revealed that European dairy breeds clustered together. The Moroccan breeds were separated into two groups, one comprising the Drâa and the other the Zagora and Rhâali breeds. Whereas, on the one side, the Anglo-Nubian and undefined breeds were the closest to one another the goats of the Azul were observed to have the highest variation of all the breeds. The Anglo-Nubian and Boer breeds were similar to each other. The Nambi-type goats remained distinct from all the other populations. In general, the use of graphical representation of PCA values allowed to distinguish genetic groups.

Genetic structure of goat breeds from Brazil and the United States: Implications for conservation and breeding programs.

The objective of this study was to assess genetic diversity among 5 Brazilian (155 animals) and 5 U.S. goat (120 animals) breeds using 23 microsatellite markers. Samples from the United States represented a broad geographic distribution whereas Brazilian samples were from the northeast region. Samples from Boer were common to each countrys breed count. Expected and observed heterozygosity among breeds ranged from 0.55 to 0.72, suggesting ample genetic diversity in the breeds evaluated. United States Angora, U.S. Spanish, and Brazilian Nambi ranked highest for allelic richness, averaging 6.1, 7.1, and 6.5 alleles per locus, respectively. Angora and Spanish also ranked highest in private alleles (7 and 9, respectively). Using STRUCTURE, the U.S. Spanish were also found to share a common cluster assignment with Brazilian Nambi, suggesting that progenitor breeds may have been the same and passed through the Canary Islands or Cape Verde in route to the New World. When non-Boer breeds were pooled by country, the effect of the subpopulation compared with total population () = 0.05, suggesting minor genetic differences exist between countries. The lack of genetic structure among goat breeds when compared with other species (e.g., vs. ) suggests goat breeds may exhibit a plasticity that facilitates productivity across a wide range of countries and environments. Taken a step further, the concept of breed for meat goats may not be as relevant for goat production.

Adaptabilidade de caprinos Sannen e Marota mantidos em clima tropical semiúmido

The study aimed to assess the environmental parameters and physiological parameters and Saanen goats and Marota in Teresina, Piaui State, Brazil, in the rainy and dry periods during the months from april to november. We used adult female Saanen goats (n = 7) and Marota (n = 7), clinically healthy, the same age group and subject to the same management conditions. The physiological indices were heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) in schedules 7-8, 10-11, 14-15 and 17–18 hours. The environmental indices analyzed were room temperature, relative humidity, black globe temperature index and temperature and humidity index. The results of the environmental parameters show that the dry period is more stressful than the rainy and the afternoon shift is more stressful than the morning and among these parameters, it is observed that the relative humidity has the opposite behavior of the temperature air, temperature and black globe temperature and humidity index, showing higher values in the rainy season and in the morning shift. Regarding the physiological parameters of the animals, it was observed that all animals were able to maintain rectal temperature within normal limits and the respiratory rate was the most sensitive indicator of stress, showing that the animals Marota race had lower values and more close to normal, indicating greater adaptability in relation to Saanen.

Inventário e caracterização morfológica de caprinos Gurgueia no Estado do Piauí

The purpose of this study was to conduct the inventory of goat breed Gurgueia in the state of Piaui, Northeast region of Brazil. The inventory includes a historical survey - made by searching in the literature - and a population survey - made by gathering in loco information. The geographic location through GPS was taken in farms sheltering Gurgueia goats and then individuals Gurgueia were counted to estimate population size and classifying the risk of extinction. To characterize the Gurgueia breed, the presence of beard, horns, earrings, patterns of color roan, agouti and brown, and the presence of reduced ear were observed to perform simple descriptive analysis. The regional literature demonstrates lack of consistency about the origin of the Gurgueia breed. However, flocks of goats in the Gurgueia river valley, in Southern Piaui, gave origin to the breed denomination. The present study found out 119 Gurgueia individuals scattered in three micro-regions - classifying the Gurgueia breed as critically endangered. The morphological analysis shows low frequency of earrings (0,05) and high frequency of horn (0.95) in Gurgeia individuals. The beard frequency was 0.52 and was verified absence of long hairs, indicating no relationship between those. The analysis showed high frequency of roan pattern (0.96), absence of brown and single coat pattern (non-agouti). Reduced ear was absent. This inventory appointed that Gurgueia risk of endangerment is unstable, since its presence within herds is mixed with other breed types.

Características Produtivas e Parâmetros Genéticos em Caprinos da Raça Moxotó do Nordeste do Brasil

Foram efetuadas analises com dados de caprinos da raca Moxoto, do Programa de Preservacao da Raca, executado pela Embrapa Caprinos, no periodo de 1993 a 1998 com o objetivo de avaliar taxas de cobertura (C), de ferti1idade ao parto (F), periodo de gestacao (PG), prolificidade (P), peso total das crias ao nascer (PTN) e peso da mae ao parto (PMP), peso das crias ao nascer (PN), aos 28 (P28), aos 56 (P56), aos 84 dias de idade (P84), mortalidade (M), ganhos medios dimos de peso do nascimento aos 28 (GN-28), do nascimento aos 56 (GN-56) e do nascimento aos 84 dias de idade (GN-84). As caracteristicas C, F, PG, P e PTN foram influenciadas pelo ano de nascimento. O ano e o tipo de nascimento influenciaram todos os pesos, os ganhos medios diarios de peso e a mortalidade. O sexo da cria influenciou todos os pesos e o GN-28 estudados. O peso da mae ao parto, como covariavel, exerceu influencia sobre todos os pesos, GN-28 e GN-84 estudados. As estimativas de herdabilidade para pesos ao nascer, aos 28 e aos 56 dias de idade foram 0,40±0,02; 0,42±0,04 e 0,48±0,05, respectivamente. As caracteristicas reprodutivas das cabras Moxoto foram semelhantes as dos tipos nativos do Nordeste do Brasil e as crias apresentaram crescimento lento. As herdabilidades encontradas indicam que o fenotipo do animal podera ser um bom indicador de seu genotipo , mostrando que a selecao massal seria mais indicada no peso aos 56 dias de idade.