Kalмагambetov Murat Baitugelo­vich, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zooengineering, Department of Zooengineering and Biotechnology, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, conducted advisory activities in July and October 2025 at the following farms: “Mamed” Farm in Karasai District of Almaty Region; “Aidarbayev”, “Bakirov F.O.”, and “Agora” Farms in Enbekshikazakh District of Almaty Region; as well as the farming partnership “Khilnichenko & K” located in Karabulak village, Eskeldi District, Zhetysu Region.

        During the advisory work, based on the needs of the farms, consultations and recommendations were provided on the following topics: “The impact of breeding and selection practices on cattle productivity”, “Balanced feeding of cattle”, “Care and feeding of calves”, “Management characteristics of replacement heifers and young cows”, and “Sexual and physiological maturity of breeding stock and their insemination”. Scientific research activities are currently being carried out in several of these farms.

      Throughout the consultations, particular emphasis was placed on the proper organization of feeding, housing, and selection of heifers with high genetic potential, as future insemination timing and duration, herd longevity, and milk productivity of dairy cows depend directly on these conditions. In zootechnical literature and practice, numerous methods are used to classify animal conformation. Among them, two classification approaches are most widely applied in practice. Both are based on assessing the animal’s exterior, visible physical traits, and certain physiological characteristics that can be identified through visual observation.

        Each breed has its own standard; during evaluation, breed characteristics and productivity are taken into account. The age of animals is determined by dentition, while live weight is estimated using body measurements and other methods. By evaluating the exterior of cattle, it is possible to assess their productive performance and breeding value. To conduct an accurate exterior assessment, a livestock breeding specialist must possess substantial professional experience, have thorough knowledge of the animals being evaluated, and comprehensively understand their management conditions, feeding regimes, nutritional value of feeds, and economically important traits.