Productivity and blood composition indicators of ram lambs during fattening with the use of oil-plant seeds in diets

Abstract

The objective of the research was to study the effectiveness of inclusion of Camelina cake, which belongs to low-glucosinolate varieties, in the diets instead of sunflower cake on the productivity of fattened ram lambs. According to the results of a laboratory study, compared with sunflower cake, Camelina cake had a higher content of dry and organic matter, “crude” fat, “crude” fiber, nitrogen-free extractives, and there were practically no differences in “crude” protein. Scientific and economic experience was organized with the use of ram lambs of the Volgogradskaya breed. Physiological studies were carried out in conjunction with the scientific and economic experience with the use of animals in this experiment. At the end of the experiment, at the age of 8 months, the ram lambs of the experimental group, using Camelina seed cake in the main diet, had a higher average live weight by 1.43 % than in the control, when using sunflower cake in the diet. In physiological studies, it was found that the animals in the experimental group digested and used the nutrients of the diet better than the young animals from the control group. Blood counts of both groups of ram lambs were normal. Control slaughter of sheep, conducted on the basis of research, showed that on average in the experimental group, the weight indicators increased: pre-slaughter, hot carcass, internal fat, slaughter, and slaughter yield, respectively, by 1.52; 1.69; 2.63; 1.74 and 0.10% than in the control. In terms of profitability, fattening animals in the experimental group was 7.8% more efficient than in the control group.