Comparative effectiveness of the use of wet flattened corn grain in the rations of lactating cows

Abstract

In order to effectively provide the body of cows with energy during the increasing the milk yield without the risk of acidosis, progressive animal breeders of the Altai Territory include wet flattened corn grain in the composition of concentrated feed. The question of the expediency and economic effectiveness of using wet flattened corn grain for cows of various physiological groups – first-calf heifers and mature animals continues to be debatable. Therefore, a comparative assessment of two options for feeding wet flattened corn grain to cows under the conditions of the Altai Territory is considered promising in modern animal husbandry and is of great practical interest. The purpose of the work was to identify the optimal and economically feasible option for using wet flattened corn grain in the rations of lactating cows. When using wet flattened corn grains in an amount of 7,1 % of the nutritional value of the ration the first-calf heifers during the period of increasing the milk yield, productivity has increased by 20,9 %. The average daily milk yield was 17,3 kg, which significantly exceeded the indicator of the control group (P > 0,95). The inclusion of wet flattened corn grains in the ration of mature cows in the amount of 1 kg for 30–35 days before calving, then 4,5 kg from 15 to 75 days after calving allows us to get the average daily milk yield of 30 kg or 20,3 % higher than that of the control group of herdmates (P > 0,95). The effectiveness of the use of wet flattened corn grain had significant indicators: the total profit from the sale of dairy products of the first-calf heifers of the experimental group amounted to 16 251,3 rubles/head, and from the sale of milk of mature cows of the experimental group it was 30 346,43 rubles/head.