Linear body measurements of Cika cattle in comparison to Pinzgauer cattle

Abstract

Changes of body measurements and body proportions in endangered Slovenian autochthonous Cika cattle were studied. Forty six years after the last study of Cika cattle body measurements, more than three quarters of the total cow’s population of Cika cattle were measured. Because of great variability of phenotypic traits in Cika cattle population, animals were divided into three groups: Cika cattle type, semi-Cika type and Pinzgauer type. Animals of semi-Cika type were larger than Cika cattle type and animals of Pinzgauer type were larger than semi-Cika type. It was observed, that proportions between linear measurements in all three groups were not different between groups and not different from the “old” Cika cattle type. It could mean that inseminations with Pinzgauer bulls in the past have not had such strong influence on Cika cattle population as assumed. In order to find the animals of Pinzgauer type with an objective method, cluster analysis was performed. In the group with the largest animals, some tendencies towards body proportions of Pinzgauer type were found, but the body proportions were still more similar to proportions of Cika cattle than to proportions of Pinzgauer cattle today and forty six years ago, respectively.