Scientific Journal of KubSAU

The article presents a comparative assessment of the meat productivity of young cattle of the two most common intensive meat breeds in the Russian Federation (Aberdeen Angus and Hereford) in comparison with the most numerous native in the South of the country domestic breed, which is Kalmyk. Intensive rearing from 9 to 18 months of age was carried out in the conditions of industrial fattening complex on rations not containing juicy forages. In the process of 273-day intensive rearing, in bulls of the tested breeds average daily live weight gains from 1455 to 1526 grams were achieved. During this period, an absolute increase was obtained in Aberdeen-Angus bulls-416.6 kg, in peers of Hereford and Kalmyk breeds-413.6 and 397.2 kg. The highest pre-slaughter live weight and slaughter rates were noted in Aberdeen-Angus bulls, having a yield of a pair carcass of 59.4 % and a slaughter yield of 62.8 %. The meat of Aberdeen-Angus bulls has the highest content of fat and dry matter, but they have less protein, lower pH and moisture binding capacity and a higher loss of meat juice during cooking, compared with the bulls of the Kalmyk breed. It was confirmed that the coefficients of transformation of protein and energy into products are closely related to the intensity of growth and weight of the carcass. The most effective of these indicators were in bulls of Aberdeen-Angus, then Hereford and Kalmyk breeds. A similar pattern between the breeds was manifested in terms of profitability and cost recovery

In order to ensure import substitution and threshold values of meat production, it is necessary to stabilize the livestock of animals and introduce intensive technologies. In conditions of arid steppes, the animals of Kalmyk, Hereford and Aberdeen-Angus breeds are best suited to stall-pasture technology. Before weaning from mothers at 7-8 months of age, their offspring is grown without additional feeding, just mothers’ milk. Therefore, the growth rate of suckling young animals rarely exceeds 850 grams of daily growth, while the live weight reaches 400-450 kilograms at the age of 18 months, with some advantage in favor of the young generation of Hereford breed. Using the intensive 9- months growing at the fattening complex with feeding from the self-feeders ensured the average daily gain in the Kalmyk bull-calves at the level of 1398 grams, and for the Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford breeds the growth is 1533 grams. The highest growth energy, live weight (661 kilograms), was with Hereford bulls. From bulls of the native Kalmyk breed with intensive technology of growing, a heavy body weight increase of 331 kilograms at 18 months of age was obtained. All tested samples of meat according to microbiological indicators comply with the requirements of the Technical Regulations