Seasonal effects on various parameters of livestock production in mixed cattle farms in the Colima state of Mexico

Abstract

As part of a French-Mexican cooperation programme, the team of researchers studied, for two years, 15 mixed cattle farms in the Colima state of Mexico. In this tropical region of the Pacific coast, it appears that the seasonal alternance determines to a large extent the feeding conditions of the animals and thus considerably influences recorded performances, e.g. reproduction parameters, growth, dairy production. After a rapid survey of development schemes already set up in this field, we examined the prospects of innovation in less advanced farms in an attempt to reduce unfavorable seasonal effects on cattle production.