INFLUENCE OF LIVE WEIGHT OF HEREFORD CALVES AT BIRTH ON THEIR SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTIVITY

Beef production technology is based on maximum usage of genetic potential of animal productivity. In this regard, it is important to determine early economically useful traits of animals, including live weight at birth. The aim of the research was to study the influence of live weight of Hereford calves at birth on their subsequent meat productivity. The study was carried out in the conditions of OOO Hereford Organic, Cherdaklinsky district, Ulyanovsk region. Two groups of calves were formed according to the method of pair-analogues, taking into account the date of birth, each group included 10 heads. The differences between the groups were in live weight: group 1 - live weight 22 - 28 kg, group 2 - live weight 30 - 36 kg. As a result of the research, it was found that live weight at birth influences meat productivity of animals. The bull-calves of the second group, which had a live weight at birth of 30 kg or more, outperformed the bull-calves of the 1st group, which had a live weight at birth of 22-28 kg, in absolute gain in live weight by 63.6 kg (14.1%) and average daily gain by 117 .8 g (14.1%). Large heifers grew and developed better than smaller heifers. Their live weight at 18 months exceeded the live weight of heifers of the 1st group by 35.5 kg (8.3%). The bulls of the second group exceeded the weight of the carcass of the peers of the first group by 43.9 kg, which is 16.3%, the carcass yield by 0.6 p.p., the slaughter weight by 47.5 kg or 16.8%, the slaughter yield by 0.8 p.p. Also, the flesh content in their carcasses was higher by 33.6 kg, or 17.0%, fat by 4.7 kg, or 26.6%.