Dynamics of changes in milk productivity of brown Swiss cows of local breeding in the conditions of Armenia

Abstract

Relevance. In the Republic of Armenia, the leading branch of animal husbandry is cattle breeding. More than 95 % of the milk and 60% of the meat are obtained from cattle breeding. In order to further develop cattle breeding in the republic within the framework of various state and commercial programs, since 2007, Holstein, Brown Swiss, Simmental and Jersey heifers have been imported from European countries. In this regard, the study of adaptive and productive qualities of not only imported, but also received from them animals of the first generation is relevant. Methods. Experimental studies were carried out on the number of dairy cows in the leading livestock farm of OOO “Agroholding “Armenia”” near the city of Spitaka. The processing of the research results was carried out using the method of variation statistics. The article substantiates the age-related changes in the indicators of milk productivity of the daughters of the Brown Swiss breed of the first generation, obtained from mothers imported from Germany, at I; II and III lactation (2016–2021). The farm has a system of keeping cows year-round stall, with loose-box method of keeping. Cows are fed and milked twice a day. The study determined the milk yield, the fat and protein content in milk (monthly control milking), the live weight of cows (by weighing), the lactation coefficient and milk yield repeatability coefficients. Results. According to the results of the research, Brown Swiss cows obtained from imported mother cows had sufficiently high indicators of milk productivity and live weight, which naturally increased with age. In cows, milk yield from I to III lactation was 6845; 7630 and 8450 kg, respectively, the fat and protein content in milk was 4.08; 4.03; 4.0 % and 3.2; 3.16; 3.12 %, live weight was 550; 595 and 630 kg, and the milk coefficient was 12.4; 12.8 and 13.4.