Economic efficiency of using high energy of bulls’ growth

Abstract

The article presents the results of research on the comparative assessment of the growth, development and meat productivity of calves and castrates of Kalmyk and Simmental breeds under the same conditions of feeding and maintenance and identification of ways to increase the profitability of beef production by using the physiological state of young animals. The experimental young animals received the same amount of feed by volume and the composition of the diet was the same. As a result of the conducted studies, it was found that the live weight of bulls of both breeds with their intensive cultivation exceeded the mass of castrates in all age periods. After weaning, there was no significant difference in the live weight of calves of the Kalmyk and Simmental breeds, which had a live weight of 255.6 and 253.9 kg, respectively, and by the age of 15.5 months, many bulls of both breeds reached from 500 to 520 kg. Castrates of both breeds grew less intensively. However, in the final period of fattening, they gave a high average daily increase (more than a kilogram). The Kalmyk castrati were less demanding of coarse feeds and used them better. According to the indicators of the control slaughter, it can be noted that the mass of carcasses of bulls of both breeds is the same, and castrates had such a mass of carcasses only at the age of 18 months. At the same time, the carcass mass of castrates of the Simmental breed was 7.6 kg lower than the carcass mass of Kalmyk castrates. Bulls and castrates of both breeds gave an exceptionally high slaughter yield. At the same time, animals of the Kalmyk breed have a higher slaughter yield due to the large accumulation of internal fat. An analysis of the data on the efficiency of beef production when selling one head of bulls at 15-16 months of age compared with castrates shows that the level of profitability per sold head is higher for both breeds by 1.8 and 4.3%, respectively. Thus, due to the peculiarities of the hormonal status of bulls, compared with castrates, they have an increased ability to grow, protein synthesis and reduced fat formation. However, castrates can also be grown extensively and for a longer time in less favorable conditions and receive high-quality beef, steers – only intensively and for a limited period (up to 16-18 months).