Animal husbandry in the structure of economic interests of Tambov landlords in the early 20th century

We analyze the system of animal husbandry of Tambov landowners in the early 20th century. The transition from “manure” to “productive” (breeding for the purpose of obtaining meat and milk as the main, rather than by-products) cattle breeding is shown, which was facilitated by a steady increase in the price of animal products. The nature of the development of market animal husbandry, aimed at selling products outside their estate, county, governorate, as well as – in some cases – exports to European countries, is considered. By the early 20th century, the owners expanded the practice of improving the productivity of livestock at the expense of the best Russian and European breeds of cattle, due to limited resources, as a rule, resorting to its metization. It is established that this practice led to the conclusion of optimal breeds of cows, horses and sheep for the region in terms of the ratio of cost and adaptability to natural conditions and the feed base. In addition, metization allowed to increase the cost of animals, providing profit not only due to livestock products, but also the sale of animals. We describe the use of new forms of animal care that provided a reduction in the mortality of young animals, the fight against the spread of diseases affecting cattle and the improvement of livestock growth.