Prospects of the usage of economical weights coefficients for evaluation of dairy cattle based on milk productivity traits

Abstract

In routine breeding practice the economic weighting coefficients are to be seen as an essential tool for sustainable and profitable realization of the animal breeding programs, under consideration of practicability animal husbandry. Weighting coefficients can be calculated for different traits taking into account the specifics of the market, where the milk products will be sold, but in the most cases in the world dairy cattle breeding they usually are being applied to milk yield and milk compound traits, which determine the general quality of future dairy products.

In Ukraine the economic weighting coefficients for breeding purposes have not been calculated. The aim of this work was to calculate economic weighting coefficients for fat and protein content as well as for milk yield for the whole lactation taking into account the increasing or reduction of profit from realization of fresh unprocessed milk. To achieve this goal, some tasks have been defined. In particular, based on analysis of production costs in real farm, profit from milk realization as well as its fluctuation depending on different fat and protein content in row milk has been calculated (step 0,01 %). In order to define the economic importance of fat and protein content the calculation of profitability of milk production depending on above mentioned traits was performed in presented study.

It was determined, that traits «fat content» and «protein content», which correspondent to fat and protein quantity in milk, have different economic value, equal to 0,004 UAH and 0,007 UAH correspondently. It is important to point out, that «milk yield» – as breeding trait has no economic importance. It is defined, that the increasing of milk productivity without increasing of amount of fat and protein in milk does not generate additional profit and is not profitable for processing operators, because they spend additional financial resources for moving of large amount of liquid, containing little valuable components. In the future the economic weighting coefficients for other traits (milk quality, reproduction) as well as for longevity have to be calculated.