Background:

The strategies for cattle production development should rely on information of agro-meteorological characteristics, which determines production processes. The aim was to analyze the climatic conditions at the Genetic Livestock Company, home to the largest herd of Cuban Creole cattle, and its possible relation to the outcome of performance tests.

Methods:

The information available about 1 375 animals tested during the 1982-2015 period was used. The final weight was adjusted to 540 days (AFW). The mean daily gain (MDG) and weight by age (WBA) were included. The monthly records of minimum temperatures (Tmin), medium temperatures (Tmid), relative humidity (RH) % were also available for the study. The temperature-humidity index (THI) was generated as well. Monthly and yearly analysis of variance and regression equations were performed to analyze the behavior of the climatic variables per year and month, the behavior of AFW, MDG, and WBA throughout time, and their relations with the climatic variables.

Results:

The general means were, 19.19 ± 0.87 0C; 24.51 ± 0.63 0C; 78.64 ± 2.66 %; 74.23 ± 0.99 for Tmin, Tmid, RH, and THI, respectively. All the variables were influenced (P≤0.001) by start month and year of PT, and the means for the tests. 334.43 ± 39.59 kg; 494.21 ± 107.81 g/day; 610.90 ± 77.25 g/day for AFW, MDG, and WBA, respectively. All the variables were affected (P≤0.001) by the start month and year, and the HTI. The most accurate regression equations with R2 > 94% were observed between AFW-HTI and WBA-HTI.

Conclusions:

A clear trend was observed toward a worsening of climatic conditions and the PT indicators throughout time. They are developed under conditions of climatic alert, and were favorable only when they were initiated in the first quarter of the year, and December.