Organization and feeding normalized growing repair heifers

Abstract

The article reflects the initial state of research on the long-term maintenance heifers of Ukrainian black and white dairy cattle. Research aimed at obtaining a high-performance group of dairy cows regarding farmers' zonal characteristics of feed production technology and advanced economies of Western Europe. It should be noted that western milk production technologies have drawbacks that should be considered when implementing them in our farms. These technologies use the concentrated feeding of cattle intended for the repair group. Typically, these farms' cows eat bad food and poor voluminous use of pasture, which is an obstacle in the purchase of cows and calves, taking into account their high purchase price. The main advantages of Western technology feed an extra shredding of bulky feed to the length of stems 0.3–0.5 mm and use free access to the feed table on which the feed, which is composed of plush corn and feeds additional concentrates at milking time. Thus, the type of concentrate feeding cows has a positive, but at the same disadvantage, especially in feeding heifers repair. Cow barrenness is high (30 % or more), and the duration limits the effective use of cattle to three years. Top management of our technology can actively use cows for 5–6 or more years with barrenness no higher than 8 %. Thus, the theoretical issue of full feeding of young cattle intended for herds of repair, incredibly high performance, continues to be studied. Our research task was to examine the characteristics of the formation of future milk production of repair heifers depending on age, level of energy, and protein supply. It is a well-known fact that the early introduction of grain concentrates into the diet of month-old calves helps accelerate rumen development. This dry feed during this critical period of the calf's life will also ensure the regular and harmonious functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Feeding whole grains, corn, and oats during this period will help strengthen the chewing muscles and improve the functioning of the salivary glands. Targeted breeding of repair heifers is one of the main tasks of animal breeders. The level of raising heifers in all age periods significantly impacts the health of animals, their subsequent milk productivity, reproductive capacity, and terms of productive use, and largely determines the efficiency of the dairy industry. Therefore, the organization and technology of rearing young animals for repair should be based on individual growth and development laws and contribute to the formation of animals with a strong constitution and high productivity. After all, it is known that the underdevelopment of organs due to insufficient feeding and inappropriate conditions of maintenance in one period of cultivation leaves negative consequences, even if the next period of animal development takes place under favorable organizational and technological conditions.