Ethological observations of reproductive qualities of Aberdeen-Angus and Grey Ukrainian breed in the conditions of forest-steppe and steppe zones of Ukraine

Abstract

The results of researches in modern herds of meat breeds – classical British, Aberdeen-Angus and autochthonous gray Ukrainian for conducting of pollination in research farms “Polivanivka” of the Institute of Agriculture of Steppe Regions of NAAS of Ukraine and “Progress” of Chernihiv Institute of Agro-Industrial Production in 2009–2012. The ethological behavior of mothers (cows) and their calves was studied in the conditions of keeping and growing livestock on the technology of meat cattle breeding. Animals for conducting research were selected taking into account age, body weight of cows, sex calves, body weight of calves at birth. Collection of accounting materials was carried out according to the data of the primary technological and pedigree records, artificial insemination magazines, materials of ethological observations. Observations were conducted in accordance with the task of preserving genetic diversity in gene pool herds of Aberdeen-Angus and Gray Ukrainian breeds. The herds of animals in the experimental farms kept the meat keeping technology adopted by the farms. The feeding of breeding stock of animals of these breeds was carried out in accordance with established and accepted at experimental farms rations, which consisted of the presence and number of harvested at farms feed. Obtained materials indicate the plasticity and the ability to control the system reproduction reproductive population in modern economic conditions farms. Attention is paid not only to purely selective approaches, but also an attempt is made to substantiate the necessity of adapting breeding breeds to modern systems of economic relations. Knowledge of the ethology of Aberdin-Angus and gray Ukrainian breeds in the conditions of the forest-steppe and steppe zones of Ukraine will allow controlling the processes of reproduction of mother and repair animals in livestock breeding herds, as well as the conservation of genetic resources of aboriginal breeds.