A Study on the Dynamics of the Development of Red Steppe Cows and Their Ayrshire and Holstein Crossbreeds

Abstract

When purchasing animals from abroad, agricultural enterprises often underestimate their demand for feed quality and feeding standards for ensuring genetically determined milk productivity. Therefore, increasing attention should be paid to raising local breeds. During the creation of new production relations, it is very important to preserve achievements of scientists and breeders. The widespread use of red steppe cows is due to good feed payment, unpretentiousness, and their adaptability to the steppe zone with its arid climate. There was a real threat of extinction of purebred red steppe cattle: with the intensification of dairy cattle breeding, as well as low milk productivity, these animals are inferior to the best dairy breeds by productivity, but they are better by endurance, resistance to diseases, and adaptability to extreme environmental conditions. Therefore, scientific research is needed on improving the productive and technological qualities of this breed using the best global gene pool of dairy cattle. This article presents the results of a study on the development of heifers of purebred red steppe cows and their Ayrshire and red-motley Holstein crossbreeds. Differences in the live weight indicators of the purebred and crossbred heifers were due to the effect of crossbreeding and intensive growing technology, which made it possible to maximize the genetic potential of the crossbred animals.
 Keywords: breed, steppe red, Holstein, Ayrshire, live weight, feed costs, diet