Modernization of calf rearing technology elements in cattle breeding

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to establish the timing of technological operations when feeding hay into feeders of different designs and the growth characteristics of calves with different growing technologies during the dairy period. On the 3rd day after birth, a control and experimental group of bull calves of the Simmental breed of 15 heads each were formed. Before reaching the age of 7 months, the calves of the control group were raised according to the technology adopted on the farm using manual milk feeding and hay consumption from a common feeder together with adult livestock. The eponymous peers of the experimental group were raised under nursing cows with full suction, rolled hay was fed to them in a coarse feed feeder designed for all age and gender groups of cattle, which was located in a common paddock with limited access to adult livestock (patent for invention RU 2810529 C1, 12/27/2023). The experimental groups of calves were provided with the same amount of coarse feed. The use of a new feeder ensured greater hay consumption than by individuals who consumed this feed from a feeder common to calves and adult animals with differences of 11.2 abs.%. Feeding hay from a common feeder meant filling it daily throughout the entire dairy period, which required 15 seconds of daily time, whereas according to the developed feeder – five times a day, the duration of each filling is on average 55 seconds, which indicates the obvious advantage of the new design. At the age of 7 months, the calves of the suckling group were superior in body weight (by 19.4 kg, P>0.999) to their peers of the traditional (economic) cultivation technology adopted in dairy cattle breeding, which were fed coarse feed from a common feeder. The differences in profitability obtained between the compared groups of calves amounted to 10.2 abs.% and turned out to be in favor of the experimental group individuals, which confirms the effectiveness of the implemented solutions in the practice of raising calves.