Effective use of the genetic potential of fine wool breed sheep in the breeding herds of the Stavropol region

The article considers the summarized material of the scientific research on the effectiveness of the breeding process for the improvement of fine wool breed sheep bred in the pedigree farms of the Stavropol Region. To improve the breeding and productive qualities of sheep, a comprehensive solution to the organizational problems of breeding is of current importance. The formation of sheep breeding and its qualitative improvement in the region are being solved through the effective use of the existing sheep gene pool. At the same time, an increase of the efficiency of breeding is achieved by increasing the productivity and specific gravity of animals in the selection group of the ewes as well as assessment and selection of the best animals in the groups of main rams. In the leading breeding farms: such as the Stavropol, Soviet, Manych and Dzhalgin merino, highly productive breeding groups (BG) of ewes are created every year. In the process of experimental studies, it was found that the average live weight of the ewes formed by breeding groups is 55.5 kg, and the selection differential (Sd) is 11.5 kg. The superiority in live weight of the breeding ewes of herds was revealed from 8.0 to 14.0 kg. The average shear of the washed wool in the ewes of the BG is at the level of 3.6 kg, the selection differential is 1.0 kg. In the context of breeding farms, Sd in the breeding stock is in the range of 0.65-1.60 kg. The average selection differential for the yield of pure fiber is 11.3 abs. percent. To improve the productivity significantly, high-value producers are used in the pedigree plants of the region. Based on the data obtained, it was found that the main rams are characterized by a high live weight of 108.5 kg and a production of scoured wool -7.8 kg. Sd is respectively 33.5 and 2.3 kg. In breeding factory herds, the selection differential of the main productivity parameters for ram-producers varies in the range of 29.0-50.0 and 1.3-3.3 kg. The yield of pure fiber in breeding sheep is high and it is at the level of 65.7% variation: min - 60.9%; max - 71.0%.