Genetic Parameters for Milk Production of Female Camels of the Kazakhstan Population

Abstract

Surveys have been performed in order to determine the key genetic parameters (variability, heritability, and repeatability) of milk production traits of camels of different breeds in current livestock populations to optimize effective selection. The research objects are the camels of the Kazakh Bactrian breed (200 head), the Turkmen Arvana dromedary breed (120 head), the Kazakh dromedary breed (120 head) reared in South and Southeast Kazakhstan, and the Mongolian Bactrian breed (30 head) of the Tuvan population reared in the forest-steppe and dry-steppe zones of the Republic of Tuva in the Russian Federation. The studied female camel age defined focused on lactation records per productive lifespan was in the range of 1 to 12 lactation cycles. The surveys were carried out in 2020–2022. Female camels of the Kazakh Bactrian, Turkmen Arvana dromedary, Kazakh dromedary, and Tuvan population Mongolian Bactrian breeds are capable to produce 1111.2 ± 45.1 kg, 1588.8 ± 58.4 kg, 1870.0 ± 47.5 kg, and 933.5 ± 29.8 kg 4%-fat milk over 210-day lactation periods, respectively. Coefficients of variability in the milk yield, fat content, protein content, fat yield, and protein yield comprised 19.7–35.9, 6.2–9.9, 3.9–7.2, 22.2–41.9, and 19.5–36.9%, respectively. Coefficients of heritability of the studied breeding traits had the mean range expressed as h² – 0.25–0.55. Coefficients of repeatability of milk production for the first to second lactation cycles, mass fractions of milk fat and protein, milk fat yield, and milk protein yield comprised 0.65–0.82, 0.58–0.85 and 0.59–0.88, 0.75–0.82, and 0.72–0.83, respectively. The coefficient of correlation between the values for milk production of female camels of first foaling over the 105- and 210-day lactation periods (P < 0.001) varied from +0.42 to +0.78, which indicates the reliability of the milk production forecast based on the assessment data over the first 105 days of lactation.