This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of milk from Kazakh mares kept under free-grazing conditions on natural pasture without supplementary feeding. Fifty Kazakh mares were aged 3 to 13 years, kept in herds, and categorized by age, number of foalings, and lactation stage for statistical analysis. Milk samples were collected, chilled, and analyzed on the same day using a Milkoscan FT2. The composition of fat, protein, lactose, total solids, casein, and other components was examined. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, PCA, CDA, and Pearson correlation analysis, were performed using JMP 17 Pro to assess the effects of lactation stage, mare age, and foaling number and to identify key relationships. The results showed that milk composition was significantly influenced by these factors. Milk from the late-lactation stage contained higher protein, lactose, and total nutrients, while milk from the early-lactation stage had a higher sugar content and acidity. Older mares and those with higher foalings produced milk with higher concentrations of glucose and galactose, while younger mares and those with fewer foalings produced milk with higher fat. A key aspect of this experiment was that all mares grazed exclusively on natural pastures without supplementation, allowing for an objective assessment of their inherent productive potential. These findings deepen the understanding of mare milk composition dynamics in Kazakh breed horses under extensive management, supporting its potential for organic dairy production.

Intoduction: Research is dedicated to the study of the genetics of saiga antelope, a species of antelope whose populations have experienced repeated critical declines in the past. Methods: This study employs a combined k-mer based comparative genomics and mitochondrial genome analysis to investigate genetic variation in S.t. tatarica . Results: Whole genome sequencing data were used to assess genomic diversity, revealing significant variation between samples, with 25.55–28.49% of k-mers being sample-specific. Mitochondrial genome sequencing identified 531 variants. These variants were predominantly variants of the ND6, ND2, ND5, and COX1 genes. The results demonstrated that the distribution of genetic variants within the mitochondrial genome of S.t. tatarica is heterogeneous, with certain regions exhibiting high variability, whereas others remain conserved. Discussion: This pattern reflects differing levels of functional significance among genes and provides a foundation for subsequent investigations into adaptive processes and the long-term stability of the species. The data obtained are of great importance for the development of conservation strategies for saiga populations, aimed at maintaining the species’ genetic diversity and adaptive potential.

The present article provides genotype and phenotype data of 3279 Kazakh local horses from various regions of Kazakhstan. Genotypic data are 81,974 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide genotyping of all individuals sampled. All horses were phenotyped and their height at withers, oblique body length, chest circumference, cannon bone circumference and body mass were recorded. Field sampling of data took place at various study sites and biological samples and morphometric measurements were taken from each animal at the same time. The dataset comprises both raw and quality-controlled genotypic data, as well as phenotypic data in structured format. All animals were identified and cataloged, with metadata such as sampling location, sex and age if applicable. Following QC filtering, 2704 individuals and 73,377 SNPs were left. The dataset serves as a resource for population genetic studies, genome-wide association studies and genomic selection research, and for studies on genetic architecture of morphological traits. It can also be used for comparative genomics among breeds of horses, genetic diversity studies of central Asian horses and the creation and/or testing of genomic prediction models for body measurement traits. The dataset is freely available and formatted for easy integration with other equine genomic databases.

This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the whole genomes of the Kazakh breeds of the Jabe and Аdai, types, as well as the Mugalzhar breed. We performed whole genome sequencing on the BGI platform, mapping the obtained data to the EquCab3.0 horse reference genome. The sequencing results revealed a large number of genetic variants in the genomes of the studied horses, indicating a high level of genetic polymorphism. The largest number of variants was found in intronic regions, as well as in untranslated regions. Among the identified variants, single nucleotide polymorphisms were found to be prevalent both before and after filtering, as well as insertions/deletions, which occur much less frequently. Special attention was paid to the SWT1, PPFIA1, SHROOM2, ANOS1, OR4D10, USP25, and ZNF74 genes, which contained more than 100 variants each. It is assumed that these genes can influence metabolism, endurance, reproductive function, sense of smell, immune response and regulation of gene expression in horses. The obtained data represent a valuable resource for future studies on the adaptive potential of Kazakh horse breeds, as well as for the development of conservation strategies and the optimization of breeding programs.

This study employs a combined k-mer based comparative genomics and mitochondrial genome analysis to investigate genetic variation in S.t. tatarica. Whole genome sequencing data were used to assess genomic diversity, revealing significant variation between samples, with 25.55-28.49% of k-mers being sample-specific. Mitochondrial genome sequencing provided 100% coverage for all samples and identified 532 variants. These variants were predominantly variants of the ND4, ND5, ND6, and CYTB genes, with uneven distribution among samples and mitochondrial genes. The results indicate a noticeable level of genetic diversity in S.t. tatarica and provide insight into the population structure of the species.

Kazakhstan’s sheep portfolio underpins much of the country’s mutton and wool production, yet several of its principal breeds remain genomically uncharacterised. The aim of this study was to characterise the genomic diversity, population structure, and global phylogenetic placement of three economically important Kazakh breeds and to determine whether they constitute separate gene pools requiring independent management. We present the first genome-wide SNP characterisation to include the Degeres (DE), the Etti Merino (EM), and the Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool (KKG) breeds simultaneously. A total of 1497 animals (DE = 354, EM = 642, KKG = 501) sampled across seven production households were genotyped and, after quality control, analysed at 42,279 SNPs, of which 22,766 LD-pruned markers were used for principal component analysis and AMOVA. We applied principal component analysis (PCA), pairwise F_ST, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), neighbour-joining phylogenetics, model-based ancestry estimation (ADMIXTURE), and Hill-number diversity profiling, and projected the breeds against the global Ovine SNP50 HapMap panel (74 reference breeds, 2819 animals; 37,685 shared SNPs). All three breeds retained uniformly high within-breed diversity (expected heterozygosity 0.413–0.417) with fixation indices at or near zero. AMOVA partitioned 94.03% of variance within breeds (Φ_ST = 0.060, p < 0.001). PCA, phylogeny, and ADMIXTURE concordantly resolved three breed-specific clusters at K = 3, with a maximum interbreed F_ST of 0.038 within the study dataset. Against the global panel, EM was genetically closest to Merino and Merino-derived reference breeds (pooled F_ST = 0.017) and substantially more distant from Southwest Asian sheep (F_ST = 0.045), whereas DE and KKG showed the reciprocal pattern (F_ST = 0.027 and 0.020 to Southwest Asia, 0.052 to the Merino group). DE additionally displayed the heterozygote excess and partial admixture expected of an incompletely consolidated composite. These results delineate three distinct gene pools and carry direct implications for breed management and the conservation of genomic diversity in Kazakhstani sheep.