The relationship of selenium with the productivity of young cattle

Abstract

During the scientific-economic experiment young cattle of the dairy and post-dairy period of growing of the 1st control group (C-) were fed with the basic diet (BD), whereas calves of the 2nd experimental group (C+) with BD feeding additional premix containing sodium selenite (0,30 mg Se per 1 kg of dry matter (DM) of a diet). Animals of the 3rd, 4th and 5th experimental groups (E100, E75, E50) were fed additional 0.30, 0.22 and 0.15 mg Se per 1 kg DM of diet in the form of proteinate. On average over the period of the experiment the total average daily gain (ADG) of body weight of calves in experimental groups was 719; 736; 781; 710 g or 6.8; 9.4; 16; 5.5% more compared to control. Calves from groups E100 and E75 fed 0.30 and 0.22 mg Se used 8.60, 13.75% and 8.56, 13.79% less energy fodder units (EFU) and digestible protein (DP) per 1 kg body weight gain compared to the control group (C-). The animals in the 3rd and 4th experimental groups fed 0.30 and 0.22 mg Se per 1 kg of diet had better digestible dry matter - by 3.18 and 3.92% (p<0.1), organic matter by 1.81% (p<0.1), and 3.64% (p<0.05), protein by 3.93 and 4.01% (p<0.1), fat by 1.02 and 1.80%, fibre by 1.01 and 2.79% (p<0.01), BEV by 1.91 (p<0.1) and 2.05% compared to control. Feeding calves of experimental groups 3, 4 and 5 with various levels of selenium proteinate promoted the increase of selenium concentration in hair (p<0,05) and blood serum (p>0,05) with decrease of Se removal with faeces (p<0,01, E75 vs C-) . In the experimental groups of calves calculation of conditional realization of the additionally gained live weight gain showed a higher level of gain compared to the control by 1481; 2008; 3468,5 and 1200 RUB per head respectively for the period of the experiment.