The assessment of domestic reindeer by the offspring quality

Purpose : Development of approaches to improve breeding work and management of genetic resources of domestic reindeer. Materials and Methods . The research was conducted on domestic reindeer of the Even breed raised at the "Yuchugeiskoe" farm. To accomplish this work, calf weighing, collection of genetic material, tagging, assignment of calves to their mothers, genetic passportization, assessment of calves by body weight, and evaluations of breeding reindeer based on offspring quality were performed. Genotyping and paternity testing were carried out using multiplex PCR analysis of 16 microsatellite loci recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). Results . The article presents the results of an assessment of domestic reindeer based on the quality of their offspring. During the study, calves were weighed and assigned to their respective mothers. The breeding value of the current year's calves was assessed. The application of molecular-genetic methods in domestic reindeer husbandry allowed solving issues related to paternity determination. This article will be of interest to professionals in the field of reindeer farming. Results comparing the productivity of offspring with that of their peers and the average herd performance are presented. A comparative evaluation of producers based on the body weight of their six-month-old offspring revealed significant variations in body weight among different producers. The study highlights the importance of utilizing modern methods to evaluate offspring quality and enhance breeds of domestic northern reindeer.