Application of the BLUP Animal Model method in assessing the breeding value of the breeding stock of Ayrshire cattle

Abstract

The aim of the study is to assess the breeding value of the breeding stock of Ayrshire cattle from 13 breeding farms in various regions of the Russian Federation using the BLUP Animal Model method.Materials and methods. The analyzed sample included data on 14,450 cows with a first calving date of 1987 – 2021, which were analyzed for identification errors and discrepancies in the dates of birth of parents and offspring. The forecast of the breeding value of cows based on milk productivity traits for 1 lactation was made using the best linear unbiased forecast method BLUP Animal Model using the RStudio program.Results. The dynamics of milk yield EBV values during the studied time period with different numbers of first calving cows was studied. EBV estimates varied not only depending on the level of absolute milk yield of first-calving cows, but also under the influence of factors such as reproduction, the number of herds being assessed, as well as management, by which herds differed.Conclusion. The assessment of breeding value using the BLUP AM method made it possible to reliably evaluate the studied array of animals of the Ayrshire breed breeding stock on farms in the Russian Federation. The best and worst producers in terms of milk yield were identified, taking into account the effects of various factors.