The purpose of the study – to highlight the contribution of the leaders of Katerynoslav province nobility, patrons S.S. Dekonsky and E.K. Brodsky in the development of basic methods of farm animal breeding. Based on the integrated use of the principles of historicism, scientificity and objectivity, as well as general scientific, interdisciplinary and special historical methods, the main trends and features of the era of livestock breeding art in the Ukrainian lands are highlighted.

It is shown that livestock breeding art is associated with the introduction of a number of progressive measures in breeding, including regulated selection using different degrees of inbreeding and involvement of animals from other farms, evaluation of animals by pedigree, public animal testing and breeding books, clarification of breeding methods and principles of selection of animals to maintain their purity.

Biographies of famous Ukrainian cattle breeders S.S. Dekonsky and E.K. Brodsky were reconstructed, whose efforts developed measures to improve domestic livestock, organized the first exemplary breeding reproducers, substantiated the benefits and tested methods of purebred breeding and crossbreeding of farm animals, introduced breeding books as a foundation for the formation of domestic breeding throughout the Russian Empire. S.S. Dekonsky organized an exemplary pedigree plant of Gray Ukrainian cattle, giving preference to the use of in-breed selection. E.K. Brodsky opened the famous pedigree plant of Charolais and Romagnola cattle, exemplary breeding farms for pigs and sheep. He substantiated the effectiveness of the crossbreeding method in order to improve local breeds of cattle.

The obtained selection achievements were popularized at agricultural exhibitions, auctions for the sale of pedigree animals, congresses on animal husbandry, and their scientific works. Livestock breeding measures developed by them in the late 19th – early 20th century have not lost their practical significance and stayed the basis of modern animal husbandry.

For the first time the consultative activities of S.S. Dekonsky and E.K. Brodsky as members of agricultural societies of national and local importance were studied.

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