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People in Ukraine are paying more and more attention to goat breeding products, and the demand for the products encourages the population to actively engage in the industry. Currently, about 95 % of the goat herd in Ukraine is concentrated in private peasant farms. Today, none of the livestock industries in Ukraine has such a high concentration of animals among the population. So, within the framework of analytical studies, the main types of family farms have been identified in terms of their size and structure. It was determined that they are divided mostly into three main types: small household plots with up to 10 animals, small family farms with up to 100 animals and farms with more than 100 milking goats. An analysis of the farming aspects of these types of farms and the perspectives for further development revealed some general results and general trends. Goat keeping in small household plots with up to 10 goats is not subject to a deep economic and technological analysis, the management is done with an amateur approach, and the technologies are based on personal family experience and vary considerably between them. The goats are only raised for the production of their own family. Goat keeping on small family farms with up to 100 goats is oriented towards the global experience of running a small family business. These farms produce and sell milk, process it into craft products (cheese, yoghurt, etc.) and provide green tourism services. Farms, which contain more than 100 heads of goats can be classified as agricultural enterprises, where industrial technologies for conducting the industry are applied. The products are sold by wholesale or through retail outlets. In general, an analysis of approaches to farming on different family farms has revealed that small family farms with up to 100 animals are the most promising from a socio-economic point of view. They are more progressive than extensive small household plots and are more flexible in many managing aspects than large-scale farms. Family farms are able to respond to market demand in a timely and sufficiently fast manner, adapt to it and make a profit.

The unprofitableness in the industry of beef cattle husbandry is associated with the death of newborn calves during the colostral period (calves have insufficient immune protection, which can be obtained only with timely use of colostrum) due to imperfection in the housing technology or its individual elements. We have been conducted two experiments: the first one -on calves and cows of the second calving, and the second -on calves and cows of the third calving and older. At revealing of a problematic cow-calf pair (cow's refusal of the calf or calf's refusal to consume colostrum) in 2017 and 2018, a new technological housing element was introduced in the experimental groups of animals -transfer of the problematic cow-calf pair to a separate correction section, for common housing to stimulate cow's maternal instincts or the calf's eating behavior. According to the data of the first part of our experiment, it was found that the number of problem calves received from cows of the second calving in first group was 2 calves, in second and third group -1 calf each, respectively. The live weight of problem calves at birth between the three groups was not significant. According to this indicator, calves from the first group had lower live weight by 1.5 kg compared to animals from the second group and by 1 kg compared to animals from the third group. The problem calves, which were transferred together with the cows to separate correction sections, reached the highest live weight when weaned, compared with animals kept under traditional farming technology, the preference was 63.3 kg and 64.8 kg, respectively. In general, in the experimental group, which included the problem calves, the calves' live weight at weaning showed a significant difference between animals of first and third groups which amounted to 6.2 kg (P > 0.95). According to data from the second part of the experiment, which was carried out on cows of third calving and older cows with offsprings, three problem calves were identified in each group. With a slight difference in the live weight of problem calves at birth, the advantage in this indicator during weaning was in animals of the second and third groups, which were transferred to separate correction sections, which amounted to 62.0 kg and 63.5 kg. Overall, a significant difference of 3.1 kg (P > 0.95) was revealed in weight during the weaning between first and third groups of calves. It was found that at transference of problem "cow-calf" pair into a separate correction section the survival rate of problem calves increased from 33-50 % to 67-100 %. Thus, by transference of problem cow-calf pairs into separate correction sections during the colostral period with year-round free-range housing, it is possible to increase the survival rate of problem calves and ensure their full-value growth.

Improvement of beef production technology by the use of specialized beef breeds is one of the most important problems of the agrarian sector of national economy of Ukraine. For this purpose the main characteristics which determine meat production of cattle stock are breed, sex, age, rearing and fattening intensity and methods of livestock handling. The leader in the number of livestock among the imported beef breeds in Ukraine is the Aberdeen Angus breed. Multi-year research of meat productivity shows that meat of this breed's heifers is characterized by unique succulence and marbling, high quality and splendid tastiness. At the same time the negative attribute of the breed is relatively low heifers' body weight, compared to other beef breeds, and excessive fat deposition at early age. Therefore nowadays there is a reason for breeding varietynew domestic beef breed based on Aberdeen Angus breed, which would keep high-quality tastiness and marbling of beef and would be more competitive under intensive technology. Herewith large attention should be paid to the studying of meat qualities of heifers, both of original breed and of the domestic one bred on its basis.

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