The conservation of genetic diversity in historically structured horse breeds requires fi-ne-scale population genetic evaluation beyond conventional pedigree-based approaches. The present study assessed genetic diversity, population structure, and mare family differentiation in a Lipizzan horse population using 16 ISAG/FAO-recommended microsatellite markers. A total of 172 mares representing 29 mare families were genotyped. All loci were polymorphic, with a mean number of alleles per locus of 6.69 and a mean effective number of alleles of 3.56. The average polymorphism information content (PIC = 0.66) indicated high marker informativeness. Mean observed heterozygosity was slightly lower than expected heterozygosity, although the overall negative inbreeding coefficient suggested general heterozygote excess and low population-level inbreeding, whilst the genetic differentiation among mare families was moderate. The principal components and the STRUCTURE analysis indicated admixture among mare families. Seven private alleles were detected across six loci, highlighting the presence of rare lineage-specific variants. These findings emphasize the importance of mare family-based analyses for identifying hidden genetic structures that may not be captured by population-level averages. The integration of microsatellite-based diversity evaluation provides a robust framework for de-signing sustainable breeding and conservation strategies aimed at preserving both overall variability and rare lineage-specific genetic components.

The effects of reproductive technologies, namely, artificial insemination (AI) and multiple ovulation embryo transfer (MOET), on the production, health, and longevity of Holstein-Friesian cows were evaluated. Data were obtained from the time period between 2017 and 2024 on a Hungarian dairy farm and consisted of 1783 cows (1544 AI and 239 MOET). Deep-frozen semen from identical bulls was used for both the AI and MOET groups. Disease incidence, productive life, and early-lactation milk production phenotypes were collected in these cows. MOET cows demonstrated significantly higher milk yield during the first 100 days of lactation but had a 43.9% greater risk of culling compared with AI cows (p < 0.05). Metabolic and reproductive disorders were the most common reasons for culling cows, with increased frequency of health issues correlating with higher culling risk ratios (p < 0.05). While MOET cows showed lower incidences of metabolic disorders, reproductive problems, and mastitis, their shorter productive lifespan likely limited overall disease exposure. Nevertheless, when MOET cows experienced illness, the impact was more severe, particularly in relation to metabolic issues (p < 0.05). These findings highlight trade-offs between improved genetic potential and health resilience in MOET-derived cows. Despite their higher productivity, their management may require greater health vigilance. This study offers practical insights for dairy producers in selecting reproductive strategies to balance genetic gain, herd health, and longevity under intensive production systems.

Lipizzan horses, bred for over four centuries, represent a unique genetic, cultural and historic resource. This study assessed genetic diversity and population structure across seven European Lipizzan populations, with emphasis on the Bosnia and Herzegovina population. A total of 547 Lipizzan horses were genotyped using 12 microsatellite markers. The parameters of genetic variability, admixture level and migration rate were calculated. The mean number of alleles, effective number of alleles and Shannon's information index were 5.78, 3.24 and 1.31, respectively. The average fixation indices were estimated to be FIT = 0.05 (SE = 0.02), FIS = -0.02 (SE = 0.01), and FST = 0.07 (SE = 0.01). The level of genetic diversity observed within each Lipizzan horse subpopulation shows similar fluctuations, with the lowest values observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the highest in the Slovak Lipizzan population. The observed heterozygosity was lower than the expected heterozygosity. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was maintained in Serbia, while minor deviations occurred in other populations, most notably in Slovakia. Nei's genetic distances were highest between Slovakia and other populations, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina. The population structure analysis confirmed admixture involving Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the migration pattern corresponded to geographic proximity and breeding practices. These findings provide a valuable basis for developing breeding strategies to reduce inbreeding and preserve genetic diversity.

Awassi sheep are the dominant indigenous breed across Iraq, raised largely in semi-arid systems where feed shortage during late gestation is common, yet its consequences for the metabolism and productivity of Awassi ewes have seldom been quantified under field conditions. Eighty multiparous ewes near Najaf, Iraq, were allocated to receive either 60% or 100% of estimated requirements during the final two weeks of gestation and were monitored through lambing for blood metabolites, colostrum quality, and lamb birth weight. Restriction induced pronounced negative energy balance: β-hydroxybutyric acid and non-esterified fatty acids were markedly elevated in restricted ewes (both P < 0.001), and the majority exceeded the subclinical-ketosis threshold from one week before lambing onward, whereas controls did not. Colostrum quality was likewise reduced under restriction (Brix 19.77 vs 22.27%; P < 0.001), but this reduction was not uniform across litter types. It was concentrated in twin-bearing ewes, which produced the lowest-quality colostrum when restricted, whereas under full feeding twin- and single-bearing ewes did not differ. Lambs from restricted ewes were lighter irrespective of litter size. These findings indicate that adequate late-gestation nutrition preserves colostrum quality specifically in twin-bearing ewes and support targeted supplementation of such animals as a practical management priority in low-input, semi-arid production systems.

The aim of this study was to analyse the number of kindlings of Pannon White rabbit does, to get information about the risk factors affecting their reproductive performance success and to evaluate the suitability of this trait as a possible selection criterion. The pedigree information was supplied by the experimental farm of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who is responsible for the maintenance of the Pannon White rabbit breed. Total kindling number of 3371 Pannon White rabbit does born from 2000 up to 2022 were used in the analysis. Year-season and number of kits born alive were considered as fixed time dependent effects in the model and they both were significant (P < 0.001). The genetic variance was estimated to calculate the heritability for longevity. To demonstrate the extent of differences within the population, the ten best and worst bucks were compared based on the estimated risk of culling to check genetic differences. As number of kits born alive increased, the culling risk for this parameter decreased. After adjusting for the fixed effects, the estimated heritability of the total kindling number was h2 = 0.14 (s.e. 0.034). The offspring of ten best and ten worst bucks were compared, revealing convincing evidence of principle that selection on this trait has a potential to improve the longevity of the Pannon White rabbits.

The Hungarian Coldblood horse was developed in the 1920s by crossing local mares with draft horses imported from Belgium and France, and was approved as an official horse breed in 1954. The aim of the study was to analyze the quality of the pedigree, generation interval, gene origin, and inbreeding. The pedigree information was received from the Hungarian Coldblood Horse Breeding Association. The studbook data of the registered animals up to 2023 were evaluated. Two reference populations were chosen: horses having offspring in 1989 and 2023. The final database contained 21,699 horses. Pedigree data of the total population and the actual breeding stock were analyzed using Endog 4.8. and Grain 2.2. software. The complete generation equivalent was 4.64 and 7.72, whereas the average maximum generations was 7.90 and 13.06 for the total and reference population, respectively. There were significant differences between the parent-offspring pathways of generation intervals. In the total stock, the first 10 individuals are present in 26.71%, while in the actual breeding stock, they are present in 37.84%. The average Wright's inbreeding coefficient was 1.13% and 2.35% in the total population and the actual breeding stock. Kalinowski's new decomposition of inbreeding showed that inbreeding does not originate from the past; inbreeding is stronger in more recent generations. There was a reasonable bottleneck effect. A more careful mating design might be needed to avoid inbreeding in the future.

Reproductive technologies like artificial insemination (AI) and multiple-ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) are extensively used in cattle breeding, but their effects on the health and growth of calves remain unclear. This study evaluated the effects of AI and MOET on morbidity, survival and weaning weight in Holstein-Friesian heifer calves. A total of 366 calves (AI: n = 314; MOET: n = 52) were followed for 91 days from birth. Morbidity was classified based on the incidence and severity of diarrhoeal and respiratory disease. Weaning weights were contrasted with disease incidence. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests for categorical data and ANOVA for continuous data (P < 0.05). Survival and overall morbidity rates were not influenced greatly by reproductive technology. The prevalence of diarrhoeal disease was similar for MOET and AI groups (P > 0.05), but respiratory disease was greater and more severe in MOET calves (P < 0.05). Morbidity negatively impacted weaning weight in AI calves (P < 0.05) but had no significant impact on MOET calves. Season and colostrum quality significantly influenced survival, with greater survival rates noted for autumn-born calves and calves that received high-quality colostrum (>25% IgG) (P < 0.05). While reproductive technology had little effect on survival, MOET calves showed a heightened susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, highlighting the importance of targeted health management.

Maintaining genetic diversity is very important during gene preservation. The aim of the present study was to analyse the pedigree information of Hungarian Nonius horses. The base pedigree information was given by the Nonius Horse Breeding Association. The total pedigree file contained the data of 30,826 animals. Various measures of genetic variability were calculated. The dataset was analysed using the POPREP software. The mare “272 Nonius XL-68 Dorka” and the stallion “3665 Nonius XVII-30 (IVtm.)” appeared with the most offspring in the dataset. There was only one youngster after the 75% of the mares and 54% of the stallions in our dataset. The most offspring selected as breeding animals was found for the Nonius mare “47 Nonius Ürmény VI (Idill)” and stallion “1814 Nonius VI-24 (XVIItm.)”, respectively.

Consumers tend to favor natural dietary supplements to improve their health. However, vendors rarely cite scientific evidence to justify these claims. In the case of poppy oil, it is often mentioned as having a positive effect on Ca metabolism-related disorders, but no proof has been provided. Therefore, the aim of our trial was to test the possible effect of poppy oil on calcium metabolism using Japanese quail layers as a model animal. A total of 120 four-week-old quail were divided into three dietary treatments (four cages per treatment, with ten birds in each cage): a control group (using sunflower oil as the energy source in the diet), 0.5%, and 1% poppy oil supplementation (replacing sunflower oil). Egg production, eggshell thickness, eggshell strength, and egg yolk color were investigated. Ca retention was determined using the acid-insoluble ash method. At the end of the experiment, two birds per cage were sacrificed, and uterus and jejunum samples were collected for gene expression analyses. Poppy oil supplementation improved egg production in terms of intensity, egg weight, and eggmass production. The thickness and eggshell strength decreased when 1% poppy oil was fed to the animals, while Ca retention improved. Poppy oil supplementation increased the expression of Ca transporter genes (CALB1, SLC8A1, and SLC26A9) in the uterus and ITPR1 in the jejunum. Our results indicate a possible effect of poppy oil on Ca metabolism. Further studies are needed to identify the active compound and to understand the mode of action.

Despite numerous studies on the genetic background and performance traits of the Lipizzan breed, fertility characteristics of Hungarian Lipizzan mares have not been systematically examined. This study evaluates the reproductive performance of 220 Lipizzaner mares from 10 Hungarian stud farms, born during the period of 1981 to 2019, using breeding records from 1998 to 2022. The mares were grouped into 25 mare families and 24 birth cohorts. Data on successful pregnancies and foalings were analyzed with respect to age, family affiliation, and breeding year. Results show that mares aged 8–12 years had the highest fertility rates, while a gradual decline was observed after 15 years. Breeding activity increased markedly after 2011, peaking in 2022 with the highest number of matings and foals born. Fertility varied considerably among mare families: some achieved consistently high reproductive success, while others showed low or zero foaling rates despite repeated matings. Hungarian mare families generally produced better fertility results, whereas Fogaras families displayed greater heterogeneity. The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring reproductive efficiency in small mare families, as unfavorable fertility trends may jeopardize their long-term viability. These findings contribute to improving breeding strategies and ensuring the preservation of genetic diversity in the Hungarian Lipizzaner population.

The study aimed to assess the influence of herd size, age at first calving, year, month, season of first calving, and first calf sex on the longevity of Hungarian Simmental beef cattle using survival analysis. The data included 598 sires, 9,077 dams, and 14,165 cows, with longevity defined by the number of calvings. A Weibull proportional hazards model was applied to analyse functional longevity. Results indicated the lowest culling risk (20% less) in cows calving first <= 27 months of age compared to the reference (33< and <= 36 months). Cows first calving at 46< months showed a 37% higher culling risk. Medium-sized herds had the highest culling risk (23%) compared to the reference, while large herds had the lowest. Seasonally, spring and summer calving presented higher risks, and a slight increase in culling risk was observed for cows with male first calves (0.4% higher). Findings show that these factors significantly affect longevity, making them valuable considerations for herd management. The heritability for calving number was h2 = 0.20, suggesting that it is a useful selection trait due to its low heritability and reliable measurability, supporting its role in longevity enhancement.

In a closed population with a limited population size, mating of related animals is unavoidable. In this study, the genealogy data of a synthetic maternal rabbit breed called Pannon Ka were used to calculate different inbreeding coefficients. The evaluated animals were born between 1995 and 2020, and the pedigree consisted of 5819 animals that originated from 4205 rabbit does and from 1314 rabbit bucks. The pedigree was further extended with 16,013 dummy progeny records in order to calculate litter inbreeding coefficients. Besides the conventional Wright inbreeding coefficients, the so-called ancestral and new inbreeding coefficients were also calculated using the gene dropping method. By the end of the evaluated period, the litter inbreeding increased to almost 11 and 60% for Wright and Ballou inbreeding, while the Kalinowski and the Kalinowski new inbreeding coefficients were 9.25 and 16.67%, respectively. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the does and for the litters. Finally, the effects of pedigree length and completeness were also taken into account using the complete generation equivalents in a partial correlation analysis. Based on the results, it could be seen that the different ancestral inbreeding coefficients had high correlation. Similarly, the conventional Wright inbreeding coefficients showed strong correlation with the new inbreeding coefficients. On the contrary, the correlation between ancestral and new inbreeding coefficients was low. Taking the complete generation equivalent into account did not give unambiguous results. It could be concluded that the different inbreeding coefficients are based on different concepts, and they are clearly different population parameters.

The aim of this study was to determine morphological characteristics of the tumbler pigeon breed of Satu Mare. This pigeon breed was first described in 1932 and was very close to extinction at the end of the 20th century. Data collection was carried out in two stocks having birds from three breeders (Bertalan Juhos, Cosmin Lupu and Werner Hartmann) in Satu Mare. In addition to the breeder, sex and color variety were also evaluated. The performed conformation measurements were statistically compared using multifactor analysis of variance. Lupu’s birds were longer compared to other breeder’s stock, while beak and wing was longer in Juhos’s stock. Thoracic perimeter was smaller whereas queue length was the longer for Juhos’s birds. Cocks’ values were significantly exceeding values of hens, except beak length. Recessive red pigeons had longer body than blue birds. Beak length of recessive yellow pigeons was significantly longer that it was computed for black birds. Wingspan was longer for dun birds than it was estimated for recessive yellow pigeons. These differences show that there is reasonable genetic variability in the breed which is desired in small populations. Due to the variability within the breed, stabilising selection might be favorable, with a special account for avoiding inbreeding.

The diversity of livestock animal breeds is an integral part of global biodiversity and requires careful management for sustainability and future availability. Avoiding inbreeding is a crucial aspect of mating of breeding animals. Our aims were to describe the quality of the pedigree, generation interval, gene origin, inbreeding, and effective population size of Danubia Alba rabbit lines. Line “D” is the maternal, whereas lines “C” and “X” are used as the paternal lines. The pedigree information was followed back from the actual breeding rabbits up to the founder animals. The rabbits having offspring in 2023 were chosen as reference populations for each line. The complete generation equivalent (GenCom) was 17.68 for line “C”, 18.32 for line “D”, and 17.49 for line “X”, respectively. The maximum number of generations (GenMax) was above 30 for each line. The estimated bottleneck effect is mostly the result of selection and not a real genetic loss. The Wright inbreeding coefficient (F_Wright) was the highest for the “X” line rabbits, whereas it was the lowest for the line “D”. Kalinowski’s decomposition of inbreeding showed that it originated mostly from the past; the current fixation of alleles was quite similar for the line “C” and “D”. Based on the predicted effective population sizes, it seems that there is no problem in maintaining of Danubia Alba lines.

This research was carried out to evaluate the pedigree data of the Debrecen White rabbit breed. Pedigree information was supplied by the Debrecen White Rabbit Breeder Association. The final dataset contained all available information on animals registered by the breeding association up to 2023. The reference population was the active breeding stock in 2023. The estimated complete generation equivalent was 7.8, while the mean of maximum generations was 16.29 for the present stock. All individuals within the current population were inbred, with a 5.37% mean inbreeding coefficient. The division of the inbreeding coefficient showed that homozygosity is increasing in the current population. The genetic conservation index (GCI) was higher than 30 for 10.11% for the total population, and was above 38.69% for the current population.

The aims of the current research were to evaluate the quality of the pedigree, generation interval, gene origin, inbreeding, and effective population size of the current Pannon White rabbit breeding population. The pedigree information was supplied by the experimental farm of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who is responsible for the maintenance of the Pannon White rabbit breed. The studbook data of the registered animals up to 2022 were analysed. The active population in 2022 was chosen as the reference population for the current study. The complete generation equivalent was 12.11 whereas the average maximum generations was 39.15 for the reference population. All animals of the breeding stock were inbred, the average Wright's inbreeding coefficient was 12.52%. Kalinowski's decomposition of inbreeding showed that inbreeding is originated mainly from the past. The proportion of rabbits having more than 30 GCI was above 30.02% for the total population, whereas it was above 36.45% for the reference population.

Hungary's sheep population is decreasing nowadays. On the first of December 2017, the herd consisted of more than 1.1 million sheep, and by June 2021, this number had barely reached 953 thousand. Based on data from the Central Statistical Office, on December 1, 2020, the sheep population numbered a total of 944 thousand individuals, of which 754 thousand were ewes (HCSO, 2020). Of this, native breeds account for 2.5%, and nearly half of this is accounted for by the Hungarian racka sheep (Hortobágy). This amounts to approximately ten thousand individuals (BODNÁR et al., 2016). For this small number of sheep, it is important to preserve their genetic values and avoiding inbreeding is even more important. This is particularly related to the fact that we need to examine the vitality of the lambs in order to produce even better breeding animals. It is important to monitor the behaviour of the sheep, the course of calving and the mother-lamb relationship, as this is of great importance in the development of technology. The observation of our farm animals influences feeding and husbandry technologies, thus we can create a better environment for them (BODNÁR et al., 2015).

Foals are born with intact but weakly functioning immune systems. Colostrum provides special immunoglobulins, which are essential for the development of passive immunity. The newborn foal is entirely dependent on antibodies from colostrum for protection against infection during the early neonatal period, meaning that after foaling, in a short time, they need to pick up a sufficient amount of colostrum in proper quality. The quantity and quality of colostrum cannot be influenced although it is well known that well-fed mares in good health typically produce enough antibody-rich colostrum for their newborn foals, the quality of colostrum can be determined by several methods. In 2022, I examined the gestation and lactation of 9 Gidran mares at Kismacs Experimental Station of Animal Husbandry of the University of Debrecen. I used a BRIX refractometer for measuring the colostrum IgG level, and a Lactoscan MCC Combo milk analyser for testing colostrum and milk.

This study was conducted to develop ideal post-mortem gamete retrieval and conservation methods to establish a Hungarian ex-situ in vitro gene bank. Pairs of testes from German Mutton Merino (n = 7) and Hungarian Black Racka (n = 7) rams were collected at a slaughterhouse, transported to the laboratory and stored overnight (4-5 °C) before processing. Post mortem ram epididymal spermatozoa (REPS) were obtained from the cauda epididymidis by slice or incision methods. Fresh samples were extended to 200 × 106/mL cell concentration, filled into mini straws and equilibrated at 5 °C for 2 h. Freezing was performed manually in a Styrofoam box. The fresh and post-thaw total motility, progressive motility and kinematic parameters of REPS were assessed using the CASA technique. The collection method did not affect significantly the fresh and post-thaw motility and kinematic parameters. Merino had higher (P < 0.05) testicular weight. Racka had significantly better fresh and post-thaw linear movement but had statistically the same (P > 0.05) cryotolerance as Merino. In conclusion, both collection methods were found suitable for REPS retrieval. The REPS from Racka exhibited better linear movement values than those from the Merino breed. The cryotolerance of REPS of both breeds was comparable.

The preservation of endangered domestic animal breeds is a specific area of sustainable livestock farming. In the southern part of the Carpathians, a variant of Zaupel-type (Racka) sheep, which was small in size and resistant to the cold mountain weather, developed at the beginning of the 19th century. In order to preserve this historical variant, it was introduced in Hungary in the early 1990s. The aim of this work is to study the pedigree of the repatriated population of the Gyimes Racka to understand its population structure and to support its future breeding work. The pedigree data (2005-2020) show that the number of founding individuals (Nf) was 3,838, within which the number of maternal lineages was 2,255. The effective number of founders (fe) and the effective number of significant ancestors (fa) in the total pedigree population were higher than in the reference population (n=2,591; 67 and 56 vs. 20 and 14, respectively). The pedigree traced back to a maximum of 2.51 generations with an average of 1.34 complete generations and 1.78 equivalent complete generations on average (in the reference population: 6.05, 2.73 and 3.82, respectively). Of the 16,947 animals registered in the herd book (with an average normalised COI of 1.43 % obtained by log transformation), 3,828 were inbred (6.30 %). As regards the maternal generations, it can be observed that the inbred stage increases steadily and significantly from the beginning to the present eighth generation (from 0.00 % to 9.54 %). The average generation interval between breeding animals was 3.29 years (obtained by log transformation). The sire-progeny paths had shorter (2.92-3.02) and the dam-progeny paths had longer (3.62-3.70) intervals. The Gyimes Racka population is already showing signs of genetic narrowing during its short conservation period, which calls for attention to stop undesirable trends.