BREEDING, SELECTION, GENETICS
The aim of the work is to adapt the industrial technology used on European industrial farms for Russian farms. The main elements of industrial/production technology of milk goat maintenance were defined and characteristics of the main industrial/production processes were specified while studying. The study was carried out with the usage of methods of comparison, correlation and analysis of the own materials and literature sources. Analysis of the main elements of industrial technology practices in milk goat keeping adapted to Russian experience was carried out. The analysis was carried out on the industrial/production farms where there were from 1000 to 4000 heads. The main technological processes – feeding, milking, watering, raising kid crop are mechanized and optimized on these farms. The minimum feeding front on industrial farms is 26 sm/head, optimal – 30-33 sm. Decreasing a feeding space from 26 to 14 sm/head increases the quality of conflicts between the animals in 3,5 times. Increasing the workload on 1 stock fount from 25 to 35 goat’s decreases water consumption for 10,2% and daily yield for 8,5%. When observing the main production processes this technology provides the average yield from one goat on its first lactation 700 kg and more. This surpass the minimum requirements of the Standard in 1,4 times when the time period of production usage of dam goats is 7-8 years. Intensive raise of kid crop provides live weight at the age of 2 months as 15-17 kg and inseminate young goats at the age of 8-14 months. High level of mechanization of the main production processes from 70 to 100% support the decrease of labourship in 2 times.
Materials on the state of databases of fine and semi-fine sheep breeds on the national gene pool of breeding farms of the Russian Federation are presented. The breeding base is represented by 106 breeding farms, including 2 breeding and genetic centers, 27 breeding plants, 76 breeding reproducers and 1 gene pool farm.
The object of research was the database of rams and sows in the program complex IAS “SELEX. Sheep” and databases in tabular Excel format of breeding farms on pedigree sheep breeding – fine and semi-fine breeds.
The article presents the results of studying the linear growth of lambs and gelded lambs of the Romanov breed (group I), its first generation crossbreeds with Edilbai – ½ Romanov × ½ Edilbai (group II) and the second generation ¼ Romanov × ¾ Edilbai (group III). It was found that due to the manifestation of the crossing effect, the crossbreed gelded lambs of groups II and III exceeded in size all measurements of the body articles of purebred peers of group I. At the same time, the circumference of the chest behind the shoulder blades, the oblique length of the trunk, the width and depth of the chest were characterized by the highest intensity of height measurements, as well as the circumference of the pastern increased less intensively with age.
The researches were carried out on sheep of the Kazakh Kurdy semi-coarse wool breed: rams of producers of the Bayyssk type of the same breed were used on uteruses of the Kargali inbreed type. The level and dynamics of live weight for the suckling period and up to 16 (yarki) months of age, as well as slaughter and meat qualities of rams of 2 and 4 months of age were studied in the obtained offspring. The level of live weight for all the studied age periods was the highest in the young stock obtained from crossing of Kargali inbred type mothers with rams of Bayys type producers, the superiority amounted to 6.0-3.9% at birth (rams – yarochki), 4.3-3.3% at weaning and 2.7% at 16 months of age (yarki). The study of features of articles of physique of 4 and 16 months old yaks showed that in these age periods yarks with genotype KPG-B × KPG-K have an advantage over purebred Kargalinsky coevals KPG-K by all measures of physique. In terms of slaughter indices, KPG-B × KPG-K lambs had superiority over purebred Kargala lambs at both age periods of slaughter.
SHEEP AND GOAT PRODUCTS
The article presents a comprehensive study of the biological and main economically useful characteristics of goats of the Gorno-Altai down breed, which is the first Russian breed of down goats, numbering 86.7 thousand heads, including female goats – 31.0 thousand heads. In terms of fluff, they are superior to all other downy breeds bred in the CIS.
The article presents the slaughter indices of rams of the Shakhrinau-Regar intrabreed type of Gissar sheep at 5 and 18 months. age. Knowledge and rational use of the patterns of growth and development of animals is important in making reasoned decisions in the production and processing of mutton and lamb.
FEED, FEEDING, FEED PRODUCTION
The effect of the probiotic feed additive “Felucene” on the dynamics of the live weight of Karakul sheep at the age of 4-6-8 months was studied.
The article presents experimental data on the effect of a complex mineral and vitamin feed additive on the growth dynamics of purebred Romanov and crossbred (Romanovskaya × Edilbaevskaya) lambs during the suckling period. It was found that at the age of 4 months, the live weight of crossbred lambs, 3.29 kg or 11.63% more, and in ewe’s lambs, – 2.75 kg or 11.00% more than in purebred ones.
The article presents data on fattening young sheep of different genotypes obtained as a result of crossing ewes of the North Caucasian breed with rams of meat breeds of foreign selection. The introduction into the feeding diet of young sheep of different genotypes of starter feed containing milk replacer in an amount of 5.0% of the feed weight during early weaning from ewes (at 3 months) had a positive effect on the consumption of feed nutrients: in crossbred rams of the North Caucasian genotype, meatwool × Ile-de-France (SK × IDF) dry matter ingestion was higher than that of peers of purebred North Caucasian animals (NC) by 0.03 kg, crossbreds of North Caucasian × Charolais (SK × Sh) by 0.06 kg or 8.4 and 18.4%, respectively, for metabolic energy – 8.2 and 17.9%, for crude protein – 8.1 and 17.6%.
A positive effect of the use of starter feed in the diet on the growth rate of young sheep killed at an early age was revealed. The absolute and average daily increases in live weight were highest at the age of 5.5 months in crosses of the SK × IDF genotype than in analogues of purebred SK and SK × Sh crosses by 6.1 and 8.3% and 5.9 and 8.5%.
The results of the control slaughter showed that in terms of slaughter weight, rams of the SK × IF genotype were superior to peers of purebred SK and SK × Sh crosses by 6.4 and 7.3%, in meat-pulp weight by 11.1 and 12.1%, and meatiness coefficient by – 0. 40 and 0.43 abs. units.
The effectiveness of using the developed protected form of betaine in the diets of young sheep of the Romanov breed was studied and the effect on biochemical and clinical blood parameters, resistance, and productive qualities was established.
MORPHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY
The histological studies results of the testes structure in interspecific hybrids of domestic sheep with mouflon are presented in a comparative aspect with the original parental form – purebred sheep of the Romanov breed.
The article presents the results of genotype determination in three target SNPs in the MPDZ gene, a potential candidate influencing the resistance of sheep to footrot, in representatives of domestic and wild Ovis. High-density SNP profiles generated for 15 local sheep breeds and 4 wild species of the genus Ovis were used as materials for the study. SNP profiles of 10 foreign breeds were added to the sample as comparison groups. Major and minor alleles in target SNPs (rs418747104, rs426927857, rs406749947) were determined. The influence of specific genotypes in target SNPs on resistance to footrot is discussed. In this study, we made the first attempt to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying resistance/susceptibility to footrot in domestic sheep breeds raised in Russia and wild representatives of the genus Ovis.
DISEASE PREVENTION
The experiment involved suyag sheep of Stavropol and Volgograd breeds. Before lambing, they were diagnosed with proteinuria, hypertension, swelling in the abdominal wall and a comatose state, which is characteristic of the symptoms of eclampsia (ESO). Organo- and morphometric studies of the material obtained from patients with ESR showed a decrease in the number of caruncles – up to 66.0 ± 1.32 pcs. in the severe form of the disease and up to 77.0 ± 1.43 pcs. in the mild form, compared with 83.0 ± 1.23 pcs. in the physiological course of pregnancy (FB). The average thickness of the integumentary epithelium of caruncles in queens with severe ESO was 14.3 ± 1.7 microns, and with mild ESO – 15.5 ± 1.9 microns, compared with the physiological course of gestation – 27.9 ± 1.9 microns.
The safety of newborn lambs obtained from ewes (suffering from a severe form of ESO) averaged 74.0%, while with physiological pregnancy it was 98.0%.