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Received: January 12, 2026

Revised: January 29, 2026

Published: March 30, 2026

 

The article presents the results of research comparing the reproductive and productive abilities of the Ayrshire and red-white Holstein breeds in the State Enterprise “Myrne”. The farm has the status of a breeding reproducer for the breeding of the Ayrshire breed of cattle. Along with the breeding of the Ayrshire breed, the farm keeps animals of the red and white Holstein breed. The housing, feeding and milking are the same. The Holstein heifers were fertilizated 1.5 months earlier compared to their Ayrshire peers. Their live weight at fertilization did not have significant differences, and the average daily gain from birth to fertilization of the Ayrshire heifers was 767 g, and that of the Holsteins was 816 g.

The stayability of Holstein first-borns up to 100 days of lactation was slightly higher than that of Ayrshire. Better fertilization of first-borns in the first 100 and 200 days of lactation is characteristic of the Holstein breed. Compared with Ayrshire animals, they were fertilized by 12.7 and 21.3% more, respectively. Better fertilization of Holstein first-borns resulted in a significantly shorter days open by 38 days and, accordingly, a shorter lactation by 40 days. Holstein first-borns significantly differed from Ayrshire first-borns by 738 kg higher milk yield in 305 days of lactation. The influence of breed on this indicator was the greatest.

Animals of both breeds had a fairly good exterior assessment. Interbreed differences include more pronounced angularity in Holstein first-borns (by 0.8 points), higher rear udder height (by 0.8 points), udder cleft (by 1.1 points) and somewhat closer rear teat placement (by 0.8 points) compared to their Ayrshire peers. According to the general scoring of the body type of first-borns, significant differences were found in the assessment only for the milk type. In Holstein animals, the assessment was 3 points higher.

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