Sheep breeding in Kazakhstan is one of the main local roles in animal husbandry. This article presents the results of a study of the genetic indicators of sheep breeds in Kazakhstan, in relation to their meat and wool productivity. Genetic analysis was carried out using the ROH (runs of homozygosity) method and candidate genes for various kinds of productivity traits were identified. The lowest mean genomic inbreeding coefficient values were observed in the Kazakh fine-wool breed and the Edilbay breed (F_ROH = 0.039 and F_ROH = 0.037). The highest values of inbreeding coefficient were in the Saryarka breed (F_ROH = 0.043), the Akzhaiyk breed (F_ROH = 0.044), and the Kazakh semi-coarse breed (F_ROH = 0.040). Since all these breeds possess the phenotypic traits for good meat constitution, the MSTN gene on the registered ROH islands has been identified and was found in all five breeds. In addition, genes affecting meat yield, adaptive traits, reproductive systems, immune systems, average daily weight gain, percentage of carcass fat, and third lumbar fat were observed within the recorded ROH islands using the Sheep QTL database. The results from the study of five breeds of sheep presented in the article are relevant (depending on the desired productivity traits) and have practical significance since only constitutionally strong animals, without exterior flaws and with high resistance to existing environmental factors, are able to produce higher yields and provide profitability to the sheep industry.

Аннотация В данной статье представлены результаты исследовании экстерьерных показателей овец, разводимых в Казахстане в зависимости от направления продуктивности (грубошерстные, полугрубошерстные, тонкорунные и полутонкорунные). Приведены показатели продуктивности по живой массе и настригу шерсти, а также зоотехнические промеры при рождении, при отъеме от матерей в возрасте 4 мес., в годовалом, полуторогодовалом и во взрослом состоянии. В теоретическом и практическом овцеводстве значительную роль играет сравнительная оценка овец различных конституционно-продуктивных типов применительно к той или иной ситуации. Объектами исследований являлись чистопородные овцы едилбайской породы разводимые в Западно-Казахстанской и Туркестанской области; казахской тонкорунной в Алматинской области; сарыаркинской в Карагандинской области; акжаикской в Западно-Казахстанской области; казахской полугрубошерстной в Актюбинской, Карагандинской и Восточно-Казахстанской областях. При изучении роста и развития овец от рождения и до взрослого состояния проведены линейные измерения отдельных статей тела, позволяющие оценить экстерьерные особенности подопытных особей. В целом приведенные данные абсолютных промеров свидетельствуют о том, что, например, едилбайские овцы являются крупными животными, не уступающими по основным показателям экстерьера самой крупной породе мясосального направления – гиссарской. Сопоставление промеров ярок с промерами овцематок, закончивших свое развитие, свидетельствует о скороспелости едилбайской породы. Ярки уже в возрасте 4-4,5 мес. достигают 74,2-82,9% промеров полновозрастных маток. При этом наибольшие промеры они имеют по таким показателям, как высота в холке (82,7%) и косая длина туловища (82,7%). Эти измерения, выраженные в процентах от показателей взрослых овцематок, наглядно демонстрируют интенсивность роста животных. В возрасте 18 мес. ярки едилбайской породы уже достигают 93,6% показателей промеров полновозрастных маток и наибольшей интенсивностью роста характеризовались показатели по ширине, глубине и обхвата груди.

The Ural saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) inhabits the expansive steppes and deserts of Kazakhstan. Disease outbreaks, particularly among livestock, can impact saiga populations by causing competition for resources and increasing mortality rates. This study focuses on the risks faced by the saiga population in Western Kazakhstan, along with strategies for their conservation and effective management. The research and data collection were conducted in the Kaztalov, Zhangala, Bokeyorda, and Zhanybek districts of West Kazakhstan, in the natural habitat and migration range of the Ural saiga population. To thoroughly assess the potential risks, we undertook a detailed analysis involving multiple data points, which encompassed monitoring, necropsy, microorganism isolation, and an examination of existing records between the years 2011 and 2024. By the conclusion of our study, we organized the identified risks into three distinct categories: biotic factors, abiotic factors, and anthropogenic factors. As a result of the evaluations made according to the categories, pathogenic bacteria (Pasteurella multocida, Clostridium perfringens), helminths, and ticks were identified as biotic risks; natural and climatic conditions (storms and lightning) as abiotic risks; and poaching and human practices in the fields as anthropogenic risks. This organization allowed us to clearly identify the specific risks faced by antelopes, providing insights that can inform future conservation efforts.

This study assessed the anthelminthic feed additive albendazole effect on the main indicators of the quality of sheep meat obtained from infected and deworming animals. A total of 20 heads of Akzhaik meat and wool sheep (i.e. 2 years of age, of different sex) were used in a 20-day experiment and 2 groups of 10 heads were formed (n = 4). The sheep were fed with the basic diet (i.e. control, group CON), without adding anything, and the second group was fed the basic diet orally with the addition of a dose of 1.2 g / head (an experimental group). At the end of the experiment, a control slaughter was carried out from each group in order to study the biochemical composition of meat and its quality. The anthelmintic feed additive albendazole did not have a significant effect on the indicators (organoleptic and physicochemical) of meat quality (P> 0.04). However, the ratio of fat and ash in the meat of the control group has differences in indicators and is reduced by 24.81% and 0.03%, respectively. The drug had a significant effect on the biological value of meat in the experimental group, where there is a higher content of essential amino acids (P = 0.06), nonessential (P = 0.05) concentrations in comparison with the CON groups. The results obtained show that the meat of the experimental groups of sheep, when using the anthelminthic feed additive albendazole, did not have a significant effect on organoleptic parameters, but significantly positively influenced the metabolism, live weight gain and biological value of meat.

Satisfying the physiological need of body for nutrients in strict accordance with medical standards is an important task to improve the structure of nutrition and its energy value. The level of providing a person with protein animal origin is only 65% established norm. Therefore, the problem of increasing volume its production is considered relevant for nutriciology. In this regard, breeders pay special attention to identifying animal genotypes that meet these requirements, and for this it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment quality of the meat productivity, taking into account transformation main nutrients feed into edible parts of the body. Evaluation of the efficiency animal transformation feed nutrients into body tissues is based on the use of exchange energy feed, and stored energy in form protein and fat. The study of their bioconversion into meat products makes it possible to develop rational technologies for directed rearing, pasture feeding and intensive fattening young sheep. This article presents results of the analysis accumulation nutrients in body and energy bioconversion with protein into the meat products of young sheep Akzhaik breed in conditions sharply continental climate of the Western region Kazakhstan. The established pattern of changes protein content in body experimental individuals is due to a decrease in the intensity of its synthesis and activation process fat deposition. According to our information, with the age of young animals, the coefficient bioconversion of feed energy into energy edible parts carcass increased to 28%, while protein, on contrary, decreased to 89%.

The effectiveness and competitiveness of sheep breeding directly depends on increasing the productivity of animals and improving the quality of products obtained from them, and this has been achieving by targeted breeding using the genetic potential of sheep breeds. The solution to this problem can be implemented through the rational use of breed resources of domestic and imported sheep breeding. Sheep breeding in Kazakhstan is the oldest branch of animal husbandry, which plays a major role in providing the national economy with specifi c types of raw materials and food. Sheep produce the largest amount of various products: wool for diff erent purposes, mutton, fat raw materials, sheep’s milk, sheep skin-fur-leather raw materials, lamb pelts. The whole of Kazakhstan and the West Kazakhstan region are characterized by a wide variety of natural, climatic and economic factors that have a specifi c infl uence on the development of sheep breeding in certain regions. In the West Kazakhstan region breeding work is carried out in a herd of Akzhaik wool-and-meat producing sheep to improve individual productive indicators by using the genetic potential of the gene pool of diff erent semifi ne-wool breeds, so breeding and improvement in order to increase the productivity of Akzhaik meat-wool sheep with double productivity is relevant and has great economic signifi cance. The inheritance and correlation of productive traits in Akzhaik wool-and-meat producing sheep obtained from diff erent mating options have been studied in the paper. It has been established that the inheritance of the main economically useful traits is additive in nature in an intermediate type with minor deviations towards one of the parent forms. The coeffi cients of heritability of live weight, clip, length and fi ber fi neness of wool are within the average values. The highest correlation coeffi cients (0,65–0,70) have been found in all groups between the length and fi ber fi neness of wool.