Multipurpose evaluation of the dairy cattle

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the investigation was a survey of the modern complex index estimation of dairy cattle in the countries of the European Union and the USA and developing of own principal scheme of multipurpose evaluation of animals due to prior received data of economic useful traits. As a result of the research, significant differences were revealed both between the significance of the groups of traits and between the numbers of evaluated indicators in different countries. This shows the diversity of interests of breeders and farmers. The prior analysis of indicators of economic useful traits of Holstein Kholmogorskiy cattle in the farms of the Murmansk region allowed to determine main directions of animal selection and to develop the algorithm of animal evaluation by complex of economic useful trait indices. The developed algorithm of complex evaluation for dairy cattle includes four evaluation blocks – indices of reproductive ability, longevity, and milk production, and, separately, milk yield. We propose to evaluate reproductive abilities by direct indicators and indirect indicators, for example, take into account exterior traits, and predisposed to abortion and female disorders. The evaluation of longevity includes indices of the exterior, accounted also a predisposition to four main groups of disease – udder disease, female disorders, aborts, lame. The milk productivity evaluation includes traits of the milk quality composition, the property of the lactation curve and characteristics of the udder from the exterior and predispose to udder diseases. In total, it is proposed to calculate the multipurpose evaluation of animals by 23 traits, including all aspects of health and productive features of dairy cattle. The scientific novelty of the research is the use of a mixed model affecting various indicators of productivity and longevity for assessing the main economical useful traits in the developed algorithm. The developed assessment system will allow to comprehensively improve the herd taking into account the current state of dairy cattle breeding in the Murmansk region.