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With the intensification of animal husbandry, the importance of the animals' ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and thus the properties with regard to conformation and constitution increases. Conformation and performance are closely related and reflect the metabolism of each individual. The aim of the research is to investigate the dynamics of age-related changes in conformation characteristics, the degree of mutual influence on milk yield and constitutional type of cows in the Holsteinized Holstein population of the Udmurt Republic (Russian Federation). In the examined population the animals have a strong, noticeably long and deep trunk, good parameters for the development of shoulder height, correctly positioned fore and hind limbs. The 305-day milk production of the animals examined was an average of 6085.12 kg in the first lactation and an average of 7047.56 kg of milk with a fat and protein content of 4.08% each in the second to fourth lactation; 3.86% (first lactation, group 1) and 3.02; 3.03% (second to fourth lactation, group 2). The production index is 6765.17 kg and 7628.52 kg. The conformation characteristics of straight trunk length, size of the femoral head, cannon bone circumference and sacrum length have a significant influence on the 305-day milk line in the first lactation. Criteria such as the depth of the chest, the size of the femoral head, the cannon bone circumference, the depth of the trunk, the width of the pelvis, the length of the sacrum and the length of the hip area have a certain influence on the fat and protein content and on the production index in general. The monofactorial dispersion analysis showed that the respective "measure for the conformation trait" influenced the examined performance traits to different degrees and varied between 0.3% and 12.2%. The analysis of the performance characteristics of cows with different body types showed that the influence of the factor "body type index" is only small and varies within 0.3 to 2.9%. The "index of the hip area" fluctuated between 0.2 and 7.7%. The greatest influence of the two index values "body type index" and "index of the hip area" was with regard to the milk quality characteristics fat content (2.9% and 7.7%) and ice white content (1.4% and 2.9%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of the livestock according to the exterior and constitution in combination with the performance characteristics describes their breeding and performance traits. The aim of the investigations was to ascertain the peculiarities of the exterior of the cows of the Schwarzbunt and Cholmogorskaja breeds and to determine the phenotypic relationships between the exterior characteristics and the milk yield. In addition, estimates were made of exogenous influences on the exterior and performance characteristics in the animals. Features such as height (2.50-3.22%) and half circumference of the hip area (2.70-3.18%) vary the least. The greatest variability was found in the body length (3.30-4.60%) and the chest circumference (3.63-4.38%). In terms of performance characteristics, the 305-day milk yield (15.83-17.78%) and the production index (15.72-17.74%) were characterized by high variability. The milk yield of the Cholmogorskaja breed was 593.97 kg (8.6%), significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the Black-White breed. They were inferior in milk fat content by 0.48% (P < 0.001) and also slightly inferior in milk protein content by 0.02%. The correlations between milk yield, milk quality indicators and conformation traits were weak or there were no relationships (-0.21 < r < +0.24). There was also a weakly positive correlation (r = +0.16) between the exterior index and the performance index. In the Cholmogorskaja breed, the correlations between the milk performance characteristics (305-day milk production, milk fat content, milk protein content) and all exterior characteristics were weak and mostly negative. In some cases there was no correlation. Between milk yield and exterior index a correlation of r = +0.09 was found. In the cows of the Black and White Breed, weak correlations between the milk yield and the external characteristics (height at the withers -0.22; half-chest circumference -0.15; half-leg circumference +0.12; half-circumference hip -0.13) were found. The correlations between the milk yield per lactation and the milk protein or milk fat content were r = +0.16 and r = -0.41. Furthermore, the relationships between the exterior index and the milk yield per lactation (r = +0.25) and the production index (r = +0.23) were calculated. The environment influenced milk production and the production index by 28.6% and 26.3%, respectively. Only 4.1% and 5.8% of the fat and protein content were influenced by the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]