Prospects for the Application of New Digital Technologies in Cage Fur Farming (Review)
Modern computer information technology is an integral part of livestock production. Their use provided a sharp increase in labour productivity, which is very important in modern farming. The first specialized computer program developed in the animal husbandry industry was “Calculation of the optimal diet. Fur animals.” Its inclusion in the working process greatly simplified work at a feeding centre, reduced the cost of feed mixtures without deterioration of product quality. The second computer program “Stud breeding” allowed for more qualitative completion of such breeding tasks as keeping livestock records, appraising young animals, selecting parental couples, and monitoring lines and families. The use of information technology in animal husbandry allowed analyzing a large amount of data in a short period of time. Studies on the genetic variability of wild and cage sables using DNA methods are of considerable interest. In the modern fur farming, new methods for chipping and identifying breeding sables using microchips and registering animals in a single database are developed. An urgent task of modern fur farming is the chipping of raw materials and finished fur products. It will undoubtedly serve as one of the effective ways to protect products from falsification. Certification of farms for breeding cage fur animals in accordance with WelFur program is mandatory for manufacturers of furs intended for export. To date, criteria for certification are developed; the dates and independent experts are determined.