Technological qualities of udders of purebred and crossbred Сaucasian brown cows in the mountainous zone of Dagestan

Udder shapes and properties, as well as indicators of milk productivity, have been studied in the first-calf cows of the Caucasian brown cows and their crossbreeds with the Swiss breed, bred in the highlands of the Republic of Dagestan. It has been established that crossbreeds have the best properties of the mammary gland. Thus, of the crossbred cows of the experimental group, 11 heads or 86.7% had tub-shaped and cup-shaped udders, 4 heads or 13.3% had a rounded shape. In Caucasian brown, this figure was 8 heads or 53.3% and 7 heads or 46.7%, respectively. A comparative analysis of the first-calf cows of the experimental groups showed that all animals had the desired shape of nipples for machine milking. 11 heads of crossbred cows (the experimental group) had a cylindrical udder shape, which is 33.3% more than that of the control purebred Caucasian brown counterparts. It was also found out that the first-born heifers of the experimental group had superiority over the purebred Caucasian brown of the control group in terms of the main udder measurements: in circumference - by 4.1cm or 4.5%), length - by 2.9cm or 11.4%, width - by 3.1 cm or 13.9% and depth - by 2, 3c or 11.1%. It was revealed that the crossbred animals of the experimental group had the best indicators for daily milk yield - by 0.63 kg or 9.1%, in terms of milk yield intensity - by 0.25 kg/min and in terms of udder index - 2.2%. During 305 days of lactation, 192.1 kg or 9% more milk was produced from the first heifers of the experimental group than from the peers of the control group. Their fat and milk protein yields were higher by 7.3 kg or 8.1% and 6 kg or 8.4%, respectively. The use of the genetic potential of the Schwyz breed to improve the Caucasian brown breed has significantly improved the