THE EFFECT OF THE CALVING SEASON ON THE DAIRY PRODUCTIVITY OF COWS

The article examines the influence of the calving season on the productivity of first-time cows of the red steppe breed in farming conditions. It was found that the calving season has a significant impact on the value of milk yields: the better and more uniform the feeding and maintenance of animals during the entire lactation period, the higher the annual yield. Winter calving cows, being in climatically favorable conditions (winter is characterized by a temperate climate), use spring and early summer pastures rich in good herbage in the middle of lactation, which contributes to the normal course of the entire lactation period. The cows of the winter calving turned out to be the highest dairy products, as their milk yield was 2943 kg, which is 284 kg more than from cows of the spring calving. Their monthly reduction in milk yields is also lower than that of their spring calving peers. The fat content in milk at winter calving is slightly higher than at spring calving, the difference was 11.6 kg. The milk production coefficient in the first group of winter calving cows was 57.0 units higher than that of spring milk cows. Based on the above, it can be concluded that cows, being in the same feeding conditions, have higher milk yields and produce more milk fat (112.1 kg) when their calving takes place in winter. It was found that the duration of the dry period has a different effect on milk yield for 305 days of subsequent lactation of cows that calved in different seasons of the year. In animals of both winter and spring calving, the highest milk production was observed with the duration of the dry period from 61 to 75 days – 3160 and 2780 kg, respectively.