Domestic experience of application of crossing in herds of Ukrainian cows of red-spotted and black-spotted dairy breeds

Abstract

Goal. To study the influence of selection of breeders of Montbeliard, Holstein, and Norwegian red breeds in herds of cows of Ukrainian red-spotted and black-spotted dairy breeds on the productivity of dairy cattle. Methods. Analysis of experimental research in the application of efficient breeding methods, theoretical analysis, formulation of hypotheses, genealogical, biometric and statistical methods, assessment of productive qualities of animals. Results. Higher milk yields were obtained from local first-born cows for the first 100 and 200 days of lactation: by 240 kg and 517 kg (P>0.999) from crossbreeds of Ukrainian red-spotted dairy and Montbeliard breeds; by 338 kg (P>0.99) and 883 kg (P>0.999) from crossbreeds of Ukrainian black-spotted dairy breed and Norwegian. Similarly, the predominance of mixtures as to the fat and protein content in milk was observed. Crossed first-born cows outnumbered purebred peers in terms of smaller service period — for 24 days (P>0.99) among crossbreeds of Ukrainian red-spotted dairy and Montbeliard breed; for 32 days (P>0.999) among crossbreeds of Ukrainian black-spotted dairy breed and Norwegian, the number of inseminations per 1 fertile (less than 1.4 times among crossbreeds of Ukrainian red-spotted dairy breed and Montbeliard breed; and 1.69 times among crossbreeds of Ukrainian black-spotted dairy breed and Norwegian), the safety of the number of first-born cows in the herd increased by 94.4 and 96.7%. Conclusions. Crossed first-borns obtained from the selection of breeders of Montbeliard and Norwegian red breeds outnumbered their peers obtained from Holstein bulls: by milk yield — on 324–425 kg (P>0.999), by fat content in milk — on 0.14–0.61% (P>0.95), and by protein — on 0.09–0.13%, by the coefficients of milk yield, constancy of lactation, reproductive capacity and safety of first-borns for the 1-st lactation.