The EAEU has prepared new criteria for assessing breeding cattle

Previously, their list included only the volume of milk yield, as well as the content of milk protein and fat. First of all, six signs of reproductive ability were added to them. Apparently, we are talking about four characteristics of fertility and two – its periodicity. The criteria of the first group include the percentage of pregnancy (the proportion of pregnant cows out of the total number of inseminated ones), barrenness (an indicator of how much offspring was lost from a particular female during the year), as well as the number of live calves per 100 cows and the insemination index (their total number for one fertilization of a cow). The other two characteristics are the intercalving period (the interval between two adjacent calvings, which ideally should not exceed 13 months) and the service period (the time from calving to the next fertile insemination). The list of additional criteria also included 18 new exterior traits and indicators of udder health (somatic cell content). In addition, the methodology for determining productivity itself was supplemented with the procedure for determining the breeding value of young animals and heifers, the rules for calculating private indices and their weighting coefficients, as well as a complex index of breeding value of dairy cattle. 

The standards were developed taking into account the recommendations of the International Committee for Animal Records (ICAR). They must bring the methodology for determining breeding value as close as possible to international standards. According to the head of the EEC Department of Agricultural Policy, Armen Harutyunyan, these changes will make it possible to comprehensively and more effectively determine the breeding value of livestock for the economy, and will also increase its genetic potential in the future, increase the production and supply of breeding products and reduce dependence on imports . There will be a transition period until the end of 2024 to introduce the amendments. After this, new characteristics will be mandatory entered together with the old ones into the registers of registration of breeding animals and breeding certificates (passports and certificates) of animals in the EAEU member  countries.