Selection and technological model for the Tsigai breed young animals herd formation with improved productive qualities indicators

The paper presents the elements of a breeding and technological model for improving the productive performance of young Tsigai sheep through purebred breeding based on three main stages. The first stage is to study the influence of directed rearing of young animals. The second stage is the study of the ontogeny of young animals depending on early weaning. The third stage is the study of the influence of different periods of lambing of ewes. The groups of animals were fed in a standardized manner; evaluation of animals - according to the Technological regulations for the evaluation of sheep. With the use of elements of directed rearing of young animals, the milk yield of queens varies from 28.5 to 33.7 kg. At the age of 5 months. a significant advantage of the young animals of the experimental group in terms of live weight by 3.9 kg (P≤0.001) was noted in single ewes; by 7.3 kg (P≤0.001) in twins; by 8.3 kg (P≤0.001) in single rams; by 7.7 kg (P≤0.001) in twin rams. At the age of 7 months. animals of the early weaning group with an improved diet significantly prevailed over young animals with a traditional rearing system in terms of live weight by 4.5 kg (P≤0.001). The following optimal terms of lambing of Tsigai ewes in the conditions of the steppe Crimea were revealed: the young stock has an advantage over analogues in live weight at birth in the period of 21.03-09.04 (the difference is 2.7 %), and with the birth group in the period of 10.04-30.04 (8, 1 %) (P≤0.001); in live weight at weaning, the difference was 13.7 (P≤0.001) and 15.9 (P≤0.001) %, respectively. At the same time, at the age of eight months, the young growth has a satisfactory development, corresponding to the target breeding standards of the breed. These animals are suitable both for obtaining satisfactory marketable conditions from them, and for further reproduction for transfer to a herd of replacement young animals.