Distinctive features of economically useful features of the Ayrshire breed in the districts of the Russian Federation

Objective: to analyze the economically valuable traits of the Ayrshire breed by district of the Russian Federation.

Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using a sample of economically valuable traits for the Ayrshire breed, taking into account the districts of the Russian Federation. This sample was compiled using data from the Yearbook on Dairy Breeding in Farms of the Russian Federation as of January 1, 2024. The sample was compiled based on the location of breeding and by district of the Russian Federation. The study examined the number of Ayrshire cows, milk yield, average daily weight, average daily weight, live weight, age at first calving, and age at retirement.

Results. The Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) has the largest population of Ayrshire cows (20,400 head), and the majority of the herd is located on breeding farms (11,200 head, or 54.9 %). In terms of average milk yield for the entire herd and breeding farms, the best results were obtained in the Northwestern Federal District (7917 and 8862 kg of milk) and the Volga Federal District (VFD) (7996 and 8879 kg), respectively. Across the entire herd of cows, breeding farms, and breeding units, high values ​​of the mass fraction of fat and protein (MFF, MFP) in milk of Ayrshire cows were established in three districts: the Volga Federal District (up to 4.51 %; 3.60 %), the Central Federal District (CFD) (up to 4.42 %; 3.43 %), and the Northwestern Federal District (up to 4.31 %; 3.41 %), respectively. The highest age of retirement of cows (4.0 calving) was established in the Volga Federal District, which exceeds the Russian average by 0.9 calvings. Cows in the Northwestern Federal District have a higher age at calving (2.7) and a higher age at retirement (3.7). Due to climate conditions and animal breeding practices in each district of the Russian Federation, Ayrshire cows differ in numbers, productivity, and longevity.

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