ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF FIRST-CALF COW FOR ADAPTIVITY TO MACHINE MILKING

Abstract

The article presents the results of studies evaluating first-calf cows according to morphological characteristics and functional properties of the udder, as well as studying their milk productivity for 305 days of the first lactation. The researches were carried out in the JSC “Put Ilicha” breeding factory in the Zavyalovsky district of the Udmurt Republic, which specializes in breeding pure-breed cattle of the Kholmogory breed. Six groups of newborn heifers five animals each were formed by the pair-analog method, and in this case genotype, age, live body weight and productivity of mothers and mothers of fathers were taken into account. Animals of all groups were in the same conditions to reduce the influence of the feeding factor and content on their productive indicators. The influence of the shape and structure of the first-calf cows’ udder of different groups on the milk yield for 305 days of lactation, which amounted to 66%, was established. The cows with an udder of a bath-shaped and bowl-shaped, with a glandular structure, better developed in length, width and depth, as well as nipples that meet the minimum requirements, turned out to be more productive. The genotype of the servicing bull also influenced the suitability of cows for machine milking. So, the daughters of bulls Neapol' 5791, Versal' 79552467 and Lazurit 61968904 exceeded the rest of their peers in measuring udders and nipples of the udder. They had a higher milk transfer rate (2.13-2.38 kg / min), a shorter milking time (9.4-9.5 min) and the highest milk yield per 305 days of lactation (5131.7-5548.2 kg).