SELECTION-GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE KUNDUZ 9481 BREEDING LINE OF THE KAZAKH WHITE-HEADED CATTLE BREED

Abstract

This article presents the results of a selection-genetic evaluation of the new breeding line of Kazakh White-Headed cattle — Kunduz 9481. The origin and genealogical structure of the line, productive and exterior-constitutional traits, as well as heritability and morphological uniformity of the offspring, were analyzed. The Kunduz 9481 line is characterized by high growth intensity, well-defined muscularity, large and harmonious body conformation, and strong constitution. The young stock of the factory line demonstrates stable dynamics in live weight and growth rate. By the age of 15 months, bull calves reach an average weight of 389.2 kg, and heifer calves — 327.8 kg. The average daily gain over the period from 6 to 15 months is more than 800 g for bull calves and over 600 g for heifer calves, which reflects the high growth potential of the line. The indicators of relative growth rate and live weight gain coefficient confirm the uniform postnatal development of the young animals and the high energy efficiency of growth, especially in bulls. The exterior evaluation at the age of 15 months showed that the offspring of the Kunduz 9481 line have a harmonious build, a well‑developed chest, an elongated torso, and proportional development of the limbs, which corresponds to the meat‑breeding direction. The level of intra‑group variability in terms of live weight, average daily gain, and measurements is within the biologically permissible range, which confirms the sufficient homogeneity of the line and the stability of the manifestation of the main selectively significant traits. Heritability coefficients for key meat productivity traits (live weight, average daily gain, withers height) are moderately high (0.47–0.53), confirming stable fixation of valuable traits. Despite moderate biological variability, the line maintains a high degree of morphological and productive uniformity across key selection traits, indicating stable inheritance of economically valuable characteristics. These results confirm the high breeding value of the Kunduz 9481 line and its potential for further improvement of the meat direction of Kazakh White-Headed cattle.