Buša is an old endangered autochthonous breed of the western Balkan, especially Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania. A related breed is Gatačko, derived from Buša × Tirolean Grey crossbreds. Fifteen purebred Buša cattle and thirteen Gatačko animals were genotyped for polymorphisms at the kappa-casein gene by a Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) essay. The alleles A, B and C were found and the allelic frequencies were 0.46 (A), 0.46 (B) and 0.08 (C) in Buša cattle and 0.58 (A) and 0.42 (B) in Gatačko. Only AA, AB, BB and BC genotypes occurred. Further alleles were not detected and are therefore either absent in both populations or rare. The allele »B« found in this small population will be useful for a sire selection program in the future.

With the objective of studying and protecting genomes of autochthonous breeds of cattle, investigations were performed of the variability of morphometric characteristics of the autochthonous breeds Busa and Gatacko cattle, as well as a retrospective analysis of the development of the examined populations. The investigations covered 97 cows, specifically 22 head of western Herzegovina Busa cattle, 24 head of eastern Herzegovina Busa cattle, and 51 head of Gatacko cattle. Morphometric measurements were examined: height at withers, body length, foot circumference, and chest girth. The obtained data were processed statistically, and variability was established using simple variance analysis with an unequal number of repetitions. The significance of the obtained differences from the three investigated localities was tested using the F test and t-test. A significant degree of variability was established for the morphological characteristics within the examined populations, as well as between the populations. The established differences are primarily a result of the influence of different natural conditions and breeding conditions, as well as the genome share of Alpine cattle, with which the Busa has been crossbred

Good air quality in poultry houses is crucial for animal health and productivity. In these houses, air is generally contaminated with noxious gases and microorganisms, the concentrations of which depend on numerous factors including microclimate. In this case study, the relation between microclimate and air concentrations of noxious gases and microorganisms was investigated in extensively reared turkey house. The study was carried out at a family household in Dalmatia hinterland, Croatia, with 50.3±3.1 turkeys kept in the house during the study period. Air temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate, concentrations of ammonia, carbon dioxide, bacteria and fungi in indoor air were measured three times per month from September to December, in the morning, prior to releasing turkeys out for grazing. Air temperature ranged from 9.73 to 26.98 °C, relative humidity from 63.29% to 75.08%, and airflow rate from 0.11 to 0.17 m/s. Lowest ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations were measured in September (2.17 ppm and 550 ppm, respectively) and highest in December (4.50 ppm and 900 ppm, respectively). Bacterial and fungal counts were lowest in December (2.51x10 5 CFU/m 3 and 3.27x10 3 CFU/m 3 air, respectively) and highest in September (6.85x10 5 CFU/m 3 and 1.06x10 5 CFU/m 3 air, respectively). Air temperature and relative humidity showed negative correlation with concentrations of noxious gases and positive correlation with air microorganisms (P<0.05 all).

Fungi are present in abundance in poultry housing. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of season and microclimate parameters in poultry housing on fungal flora in the air and broiler trachea in commercial fattening conditions. The study was conducted in summer and winter. Study results indicated seasonal impact and association between fungal flora composition in housing air and broiler trachea. However, the total fungal count in housing air was significantly higher in summer and in broiler trachea in winter, both significantly correlated with indoor relative humidity and ammonia concentration. There was no significant correlation between outdoor and indoor air temperature, relative humidity and airflow rate, respectively. Study results suggested that environmental determination of fungi should be accompanied by their determination in broilers. In addition, seasonal impact on fungal contamination should be associated with microclimate conditions in the poultry house rather than the season itself. The fungi detected and the results obtained have implications not only for broiler health but also for the health of humans working in such environments.

This study aimed to compare fungal contamination of poultry litter between warm and cold seasons. It was carried out in commercial production conditions over two five-week fattening periods: one in the summer (July-August) and one in the winter (December-January). Broilers were reared on a litter composed of chopped straw and sawdust. Litter fungal concentration and composition were investigated weekly, along with litter temperature, moisture, and pH. Litter concentration of total fungi increased over both fattening periods, with no differences in median concentrations between them. Season also had no effect on yeast, Aspergillus section Nigri, and Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Rhizopus spp. concentrations, while the Aspergillus section Flavi and Aspergillus spp. combined showed higher concentrations in the summer, and Mucor and Penicillium spp. in the winter. Total fungal concentration highly correlated with litter temperature, moisture, and pH, regardless of the season. Our findings can be useful in the assessment and control of potential harmful effect of fungi on the health of poultry and poultry farm workers.