Conformation features of young yaks

Abstract

A comparative characteristic of the young yaks’ constitution is given in view of their age and conformation parameters. Investigations were carried out in the Republic of Tuva. There were determined measurements of young yaks obtained from the grunting cows of breeding herd with the higher conformation parameters (1 group), and from grunting cows with the average parameters (2 group). The measurements were performed in the young stock at birth, at 3 and 6 months of age. Advantages of the first group’s young yaks over the second group’s animals in conformation parameters were established, which was manifested from the age of 3 months: withers height more by 5.9%, height at hips by 5.4, chest depth by 8.7, and oblique body length by 3.6%. The measurement parameters of the first group at 6 months of age were much higher than those of the second group: withers height, height at hips, chest depth, circumference of chest, width of chest, and oblique body length by 10.2; 7.4; 16.0; 5.5; 3.0, and 8.0%, respectively. It has been found that the index of long legs in the young yaks of the groups studied decreased from birth to 6 months of age from 52.5 and 53.8% to 46.5 and 49.1%, respectively, which indicates the features of the yak breed related to small animals of meat type.