Productive and reproductive qualities of animals of the Ukrainian black and spotted dairy breed in breeding farms of the western region of Ukraine
Authors: Muzyka L. I. , Bodnar P. V. , Bodnaruk V. Y. , Zhmur A. J. , Mykytiuk V. V. 
Published: February 2023

An analysis of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the breeding farms (breeding plants and breeding reproducers) for breeding cattle of the Ukrainian black-spotted dairy (UBSD) breed, located in the western region of Ukraine, was conducted. It was established that as of January 1, 2021, there were 156 breeding farms of the UBSD breed in Ukraine, including 75 (40.1 %) breeding farms and 81 (51.9 %) breeding breeders. In the western regions of Ukraine, the UBSD breed is bred in 61 breeding farms, which is 39.1 % of all breeding farms in the country. There are 20 farms (32.8 %) and 41 breeders (67.2 %) for breeding the UBSD breed in the western region of Ukraine. Among all breeding plants of Ukraine, 26.7 % and 50.6 % of breeding breeders are concentrated in the western region. Khmelnytskyi (15), Volyn (13), and Rivne (12) regions have the most significant number of breeding farms and the most minor – in Ivano-Frankivsk (5); there are eight breeding enterprises each in Lviv and Ternopil regions. As of 01.01.2021, the population of animals of the UBSD breed in the breeding farms of Ukraine amounted to 143864 heads (head), including 59.0 % in breeding plants and 41.0 % in breeding breeders. The population of animals of the UBSD of the western region of Ukraine totals 64220 animals, or 44.6 % of all livestock in the country. Khmelnytskyi and Volyn regions are the leaders regarding the number of UBSD breeds among the western regions of Ukraine. Ternopil and Rivne regions were less numerous, and Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions had the most miniature breeding animals. Out of 61591 heads, there is 25967 head of pedigree cows of the UBSD breed, bred in farms in Ukraine, with pedigree status in the western region or 42.2 %. The most numerous were Ltd “Progres” (2469 heads), PLAE named after Ivan Franko (2086 heads), PLAE named after Shevchenko (2054 heads), Ltd “Lyshche” (2021 heads) and JPE “Rat” (1992 heads). As of January 1, 2021, there was 12167 head of cattle in the breeding farms of Ukraine, including in the western region – 5389 heads or 44.3 %. There were 22399 heifers over one-year-old in breeding farms in Ukraine, of which 9834 were in the western part or 43.9 %. A significant number of heifers older than one year were observed in the Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil regions. Milk productivity of UBSD cows for 305 days of the last completed lactation on all breeding farms of Ukraine was, on average, 7737 kg of milk yield, 290 kg of milk fat, and 254 kg of milk protein. In cows bred in breeding plants, the named indicators were higher than those kept in breeding breeders. Thus, the cows of breeding farms weighed 7991 kg, and the amount of milk fat and protein was 300 and 266 kg, respectively. In cows from breeding breeders, the mentioned indicators were lower than cows from breeding plants by 611, 25, and 29 kg, respectively. In breeding farms of the western region of Ukraine in all studied areas, the average weight of cows was 7019 kg, the amount of milk fat was 259 kg, and the amount of milk protein was 227 kg. The highest milk yield among enterprises in the western region of Ukraine belongs to the Volyn region – an average of 9132 kg (in breeding plants – 9413 kg; in breeding breeders – 7140 kg). High milk yield in the mentioned region was noted by the cows of the UBSD breed PLAE “Progres” (12082 kg), FE “Perlyna Turia” (11015 kg), PLAE named after Ivan Franko (9800 kilograms), Ltd “Lyshche” (9501 kg) and Ltd “Rat” (9186 kg). The milk productivity of probonitized cows of the UBSD breed for one lactation on average for all categories of breeding enterprises (14107 heads) amounted to 7563 kg of milk yield, and the amount of milk fat and milk protein was 282 and 247 kg, respectively. In the breeding farms of the western region of Ukraine, the yield averaged 7563 kg, the amount of milk fat – 241 kg, and the amount of milk protein – 219 kg. Higher productivity was observed in cows from Volyn, Ternopil, and Lviv regions, slightly lower productivity – from Khmelnytskyi and Rivne regions, and the lowest productivity – from the Ivano-Frankivsk regions. For the third lactation and older, the probonitized cows of the UBSD breeds of breeding farms of Ukraine (19011 heads) had an average yield of 7748 kg. In cows kept in enterprises of the western region of Ukraine, this indicator was 7141 kg on average. The highest milk yield was obtained from cows that belonged to the Volyn region breeding farms (9732 kg on average for the region). Among the enterprises in the Volyn region, the “Progres” dairy farm (13280 kg), the Ivan Franko dairy farm (11360 kg), the Perlyna Turia farm (11201 kg), the “Lishche” dairy farm (9814 kg) and the “Rat” dairy farm (9250 kg); in the Lviv region – Molochni Riky LLC (11125 kg); in the Rivne region – Ltd “n.a. Volovikov” (7495 kg), PAE “Ukraina” (7310 kg); in the Ternopil region – PAE AF “Horyn” (10488 kg), PAE “Agroprodservice” (10360 kg), LLC “Buchachagrokhlibprom” (9370 kg) and in the Khmelnytsky region – PE “Agrarna Compania 2004” (7402 kg). The distribution of UBSD breed cows by milk yield for 305 days of the highest lactation showed that 5019 cows with a milk yield of 10001 kg and more are kept in breeding farms in Ukraine; with a milk yield of 9001–10000 kg – 5788 heads and with a milk yield of 8001–9000 kg – 2969 heads. In the regions of the western region of Ukraine, these indicators were 2006, respectively, 1991, and 2027 heads. The reproductive capacity of animals is closely related to their productive qualities.