Dairy productivity of cows and quality of milk produced on the pastures of different altitudinal zonality

The purpose of the research is to study the milk productivity of cattle and milk quality depending on the grass of pasture lands in the summer period of rearing. The study was conducted on the pastures of different altitudinal zonality within the territory of the Central Pre-Caucasian region. The object of study was the cows of the Brown Swiss breed. Two groups of full-aged cows with 20 cows in each group were formed: the 1st experimental group – pasture location altitude 1100 m above sea level, the 2nd experimental group – altitude 2400 m above sea level. In both groups, the highest daily milk yields were recorded in the middle of the grazing period, when animals grazed on more nutritious grasses. The cows of the 2nd group in contrast to the representatives of the 1st group in the analyzed period were distinguished by the highest milk yield – 19.4 and 17.7 kg of milk, respectively (p > 0.95). Intergroup differences by the end of the study were 2.2 kg in favor of the individuals maintained at 2400 m above sea level (p > 0.99). By the middle of the grazing period, the advantage of cows from the higher altitude zone in milk fat and protein concentration was 0.07 (p > 0.95) and 0.05% (p > 0.95), respectively, which is probably due to the more nutritious composition of grasses on the pastures located in the alpine and subalpine belt. Qualitative indicators of milk of the cows of both groups changed in accordance with the period of keeping on pasture – by the middle increased and gradually decreased by the end of the study, which is due to a decrease in the nutritional content of vegetation eaten by the animals. The use of free range-mountain system of keeping dairy cattle in the pasture period in the conditions of the Central Pre-Caucasian region provides an increase in productivity, improvement of qualitative characteristics of dairy raw materials and its compliance with the requirements of environmental safety. Mountainous areas with natural forage lands are a significant resource for increasing the efficiency of cattle breeding, ensuring the production of high-quality products with the lowest labor and material costs. 

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