The use of mineral additives in the rations of horses

Abstract

One of the main conditions for the further development of horse breeding, improving the quality and reducing the cost of production is a complete feeding of horses depending on the intake of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins into the body. The purpose of the research was to study the use of bentonite clay from the Zyryansk deposit as a mineral additive in the rations of brood mares and young horses of Oryol trotting breed. Analysis of the ration used for feeding experimental animals showed that they provided the needs of horses in normalized nutrition indicators, with the exception of a number of minerals in the control group. It was found that the coefficient of digestibility of dry matter in mares in the control group was 0,72 abs.% lower than in the experimental group. The organic matter the mares of the experimental group was digested more than the control group by 0,90 abs.%. The coefficient of digestibility of crude protein in mares of the control group was less by 1,51 abs.% (P < 0,05), compared with herdmates of the experimental group. The digestibility of crude fiber in mares of the experimental group who consumed bentonite compared with mares of the control group was higher by 3,39 abs.% (P < 0,05). Mares of the control group digested crude fat worse than analogues from the experimental group by 1,15 abs.%, and nitrogen-free extractive substances by 0,70 abs.%. The study of indicators characterizing the growth and development of young animals, as well as the analysis of conformation indices showed that the foals of the experimental group had superiority over their control herdmates in terms of the complex of studied indicators.