Relationship of beef production and body composition features of the Gornoaltayskaya population of the Galloway cattle

Abstract

The Galloway cattle has been bred in the Republic of Altai for more than 40 years, and there, under the influence of a specific habitat, breeding work and the nutrition and housing conditions, a peculiar intra-breed type has formed which is currently understudied. The research goal was to study the relationship of beef production with the external conformation features of the Galloway cattle bred in the Republic of Altai. The research objectives included the following: 1) to study the external conformation features of Galloway cattle; 2) to evaluate the beef production of animals; 3) to calculate the coefficients of correlation and regression between the traits; 4) to identify the degree of influence of the external conformation features on the beef-making qualities of animals; 5) to determine the main selection criteria for improving the productive and breeding qualities of the cattle. The research was carried out in 2023 and 2024 at the breeding base of the Galloway Branch of the Altai Agricultural Experimental Station of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agro-Biotechnologies in the Shebalinskiy District of the Republic of Altai. The conventional animal science research methods were used. The research findings showed that the animals of the Gornoaltayskaya population of the Galloway cattle met the requirements of the breed according to the features studied and had the medium score for the external conformation as much as 4.0 ± 0.07 (heifers) and 85.8 ± 0.58 (three-year old cows and older), live weight - 349.7-419.7 kg (under the age of 5 years) and 465.8 kg (at an older age). The beef production indices were most dependent on such measurements as oblique body length (η² = 34%, p < 0.001); chest girth and depth (η² = 28-47%, p < 0.001); pelvic length and width (η² = 27-35%, p < 0.001); rump height (η² = 20%, p < 0.001) and metacarpal girth (η² = 25%, p < 0.01). The largest live weight was found in the animals with the following features: good blockiness (η² = 11%, p < 0.05), not long-legged (η² = 15%, p < 0.05), stretched body (η² = 21%, p < 0.01) and well-developed chest (η² = 11%, p < 0.05). With an increase in measurements by 1 cm and indices by 1%, the live weight changes by 1.2-18.4 kg. These measurements and constitution indexes may be the main markers of the lifetime evaluation of animals for the development of beef forms.