PRODUCTIVE QUALITIES OF BLACK PIED CATTLE BREED OF VOLOGDA SELECTION IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STAVROPOL TERRITORY

Abstract

As a result of a long and carefully planned breeding work in the “Collective breeding
farm named after Chapaev” LLC of Kochubeevsky District in the Stavropol Territory, a
highly productive population of Black Pied cattle was formed. In 2017, the milk yield of the
farm amounted to 7045 kg of milk from each cow, but at the same time, there were some
difficulties with the reproduction of the herd due to their own young animals. Also, one of the
goals of the farm managers was to increase milk yield from one cow to 9000 kg of milk over
the next 2-3 years. All these factors served as the reason for the experimental purchase of
heifers of Black Pied breed of Vologda selection (n = 105), which have a higher genetic
potential. The studies were carried out in the “Collective breeding farm named after Chapaev”
LLC of Kochubeevsky District in the Stavropol Territory in 2018-2020 on first-calf heifers of
the local Black Pied breed (n = 46) and Vologda (n = 20) selection. Their purpose was to
study the productive and reproductive qualities of the brought cattle in new climatic
conditions in a comparative aspect with the animals of the local population. In terms of milk
yield, the first-calf heifers of the 2nd group had an advantage: in 100 days of lactation, 3253
kg of milk were received from each cow, which is 761 kg or 30.54% more than from the 1st
group. In 305 days of lactation, the difference in milk yield was 1145.8 kg of milk or 18.1%.
The age of productive insemination, insemination index and the age at first calving were
lower in first-calf heifers of the Vologda selection - 17.6 months; 1.70 and 27.3 months,
respectively. After calving, they also differed in the best rates of reproductive ability. The
obtained data indicate that the adaptation process in first-calf heifers which were brought to
the region from the Central Federal District is rather smooth and the purchase of homeland
selection cattle can be a good and more economically profitable alternative to import.