Methodology for assessing body type in dairy cattle

Abstract

The effectiveness of using a number of methodological documents regulating the assessment of body type in improving domestic dairy cattle, adopted in 1996, 2019 and 2023, respectively, was studied. The materials of the conducted studies convincingly indicate that the "Assessment of cows by exterior features" approved as a normative legal act (decision of the EEC board dated 08/22/2023 No. 125) will not allow a full and reliable assessment of the breeding stock by their body type and, accordingly, the effective use of the obtained data in the selection of dairy cattle. "Rules for assessing the body type of daughters of dairy and meat breed bulls" (1996) are intended to assess cows of combined (dairy and meat) productivity and therefore their use in the selection of dairy cattle is not effective enough. At present, it is advisable to use the "Methodology for assessing the constitution of cows in dairy cattle breeding" (2019) in the work on improving the exterior of dairy cattle productivity, which is identical to the "Evaluation of cows by the exterior characteristics of cows" (2023) in terms of the linear system of certification of the constitution type, but also additionally contains all the requirements and sections necessary for successful work. This methodological document has been used for five years in the assessment, selection and selection of breeding animals in farms in the Vladimir, Moscow and Ryazan regions and has proven itself from the best side. At the same time, this methodology is fundamental in the selection of cows for participation and determining the winners in the "Best Cow by Constitution Type" competition, held as part of annual exhibitions of breeding animals in a number of regions of the Russian Federation.