Examinded are some of the most important dairy sheep breeds, among the great diversity of the Mediterranean sheep population, by focusing on their phenotypic characteristics, their productive and reproductive potential as well as on the management practices and systems of testing. Information is also given on their genetic parameters, with emphasis on heritability coefficients, and the range of respective selection and breeding schemes, applied under their particular husbandry conditions.

En el presente artículo se describen los censos, características morfológicas y sistemas de producción más frecuentes de la raza Latxa, presentándose asimismo los resultados relativos a caracteres de reproducción, de peso y de crecimiento de los corderos y de producción de leche. Finalmente se describen los programas de control lechero y de selección en esta raza.

This article was first prepared (1988/89) when there were two Yemen States, the Yemen Arab Republic also known as North Yemen and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen or South Yemen. These two united in 1990 to form the Republic of Yemen. The authors describe the various goat populations in North Yemen, the regional distribution, numbers, flock sizes and production systems; the future of goat raising is also discussed. A short updating note on the goat population of South Yemen completes the picture.

Dans les schémas de sélection actuels, l'appréciation du potentiel génétique d'une vache laitière ne peut se réaliser que tardivement avec l'instauration d'une production. Il est également bien établi que la régulation endocrinienne de la lactation est un phénomène complexe dans lequel l'hormone de croissance (GH) et son médiateur hépatique l'Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) jouent un rôle central. Dans ce texte, les différentes applications possibles de ces hormones en tant que critère de sélection en production laitière sont discutées.

The state of the dairy herd in Kenya is described. The organization of the national dairy cattle breeding programme and the sire evaluation methods used are discussed in the light of the available data (1978–1988) and the relevant bibliography It is underlined that it was only possible to keep-up milk production - which matches consumption - by a dairy cattle population growth of 220% in the past decade, while the average yield remained unchanged around 3500 kg milk/lactation. The author underlines the need to improve livestock management practices and the genetic potential of dairy cows as the only means to face the needs of a growing human population.

La race bovine marocaine Blonde d'Oulmès-Zaër, race traditionnelle et originale du Moyen-Atlas, est exploitée pour son lait et sa viande en conditions difficiles. Comptant 8000 vaches environ dans les communes de Boukachmir et d'Oulmès, dans la province de Khemisset, elle est l'objet d'un programme de conservation et d'amélioration génétique cohérent pouvant servir de point de départ à la revitalisation de cette région attachante.

The origins, historical evolution and actual situation of the breed are discussed. These cattle played a major role in the central part of the Italian peninsula since Roman times. The breed's vital statistics, numbers and systems of production are presented.

The Maremmano horse, one of the most important and ancient Italian breeds, has a Stud Book only since 1980. This breed is used for saddle horse production, both as a purebred and as a crossbred. A systematic breeding programme has been implemented to maintain the old genotype and ensure wider variation within the breed.

The paper deals with the indigenous chicken types of Ethiopia and attempts to characterize them according to some morphological attributes. In addition, their growth, reproductive ability and importance in the national economy are also discussed.