BREED STANDARD OF BREEDERS USED IN SMALL PROPERTIES OF THE DAIRY PROJECT IN WESTERN GOIANO

Abstract

Dairy cattle farming is increasingly advancing in Brazilian livestock farming, placing the country in third place in the ranking of largest producers at an international level. This position relies on the significant participation of small producers in the production chain, although flaws in the production system and traditional techniques are responsible for stagnation of the activity, especially on small properties. Traditionally, beef bulls are used in crossbreeding with dairy cows, a factor that slows down genetic improvement on small properties, considering that approximately 90% of the herd’s genetics come from the male. The objective of this study is to evaluate the racial pattern of bulls used on small dairy properties located in the Western Goiás Dairy APL. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire applied to 255 properties distributed across 24 municipalities. Of these, 718 bulls were evaluated, of which 19.62% were dairy breeds and 2.36% were dual breeds (meat and milk). Approximately 56.82% of the males were predominantly Nelore. It is concluded that the racial standard of the breeders used does not match the needs of the dairy production chain for racial standard diversity.