Crossbreeding – the main method of increasing beef production in Kyrgyzstan

The relevance of this study is due to the need to increase the meat productivity of cattle in the Kyrgyz Republic, where the use of low-productive cows of Alatau breed prevails. Increasing the profitability of meat cattle breeding requires the introduction of effective selection and genetic methods, including interbreed crossbreeding using bulls of specialised meat breeds. The aim of this work was to identify the most productive genotype of crossbred animals obtained from crossing Alatau cows with bulls of meat breeds (Charolais, Kian and Aberdeen-Angus), taking into account their productive and adaptive qualities in different natural-climatic zones of Kyrgyzstan. In the course of the study, zootechnical and biometric methods of analysis were applied: live weight, growth rate, meat qualities, as well as resistance of animals to housing conditions were evaluated. In total, three groups of crossbred calves bred in plain and foothill areas were studied. The best results were obtained from crossing of Alatau breed with Aberdeen-Angus breed: by the age of six months calves of this group reached on average 215.3 kg, average daily gain was 890 g, slaughter yield of meat reached 58.2%. These animals also showed high adaptability to climatic fluctuations and rational use of forages. The practical significance of the work lies in the possibility of introducing the obtained data into beef cattle breeding programmes both at breeding enterprises and in farms. The results of research can be used at formation of arrays of beef cattle of new type and at development of regional programmes on increase of productivity of beef cattle direction