Use of ethological indices in Ayrshire cattle breeding

The article presents data of ethological monitoring of Ayrshire first lactation cows, which are kept in tied confinement during summer. Breeding cows according to the ethological individuality is accompanied by an increase of milk productivity indicators. Animals with high feeding activity have a 967 kg increase per lactation, compared with animals with low feeding activity. The productivity of active and ultra active cows increases by 15.6 -17,2 %, while the coefficient of lactation stability increases by 5 - 9 %, unlike the productivity of infrapassive animals.