GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OF FOALS OF THE ZHANIBEK INTRA-BREED TYPE OF THE KUSHUM HORSE BREED

Abstract

In Kazakhstan, productive horse breeding has become established as an independent branch of animal husbandry and ensures the satisfaction of the population's demand for high-quality horse meat and kymyz. The Zhanibek intra-breed type of the Kushum breed is a local selection achievement with high meat productivity, adapted to the arid, semi-desert regions of the West Kazakhstan region. However, the growth and development patterns of foals and the comparative potential of meat productivity along the breeding lines of this type remain insufficiently studied. The research was conducted in 2024–2026 in the Zhanibek district of the West Kazakhstan region at the "Alem" farm enterprise within the framework of program BR22887106. The object of the study was foals of different ages originating from the breeding lines "Doskuren 83-85" (group I) and "Zamantory 69-84" (group II) belonging to the Zhanibek intra-breed type of the Kushum breed (n=20 in each group). The foals were reared under herd-pasture technology, in the open steppe all year round, grazing in winter and at summer pastures in summer. Live weight was measured at 3 days, 1, 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Absolute, daily, and relative gains were determined. Body measurements (withers height, oblique body length, chest girth, and cannon bone girth) were taken, body indices were calculated, and the data were subjected to biometric processing. The offspring of the Zamantory 69-84 breeding line showed superiority in growth and development indicators and is valuable selection material for rearing under herd-pasture technology conditions. The obtained results are consistent with previously published data on the growth and development patterns of local breeds.