Daily Live Weight Gain Research Articles

ПРОБИОТИЧЕСКАЯ КОРМОВАЯ ДОБАВКА «ЦИТОСПОРИН» И ЕЕ ВЛИЯНИЕ НА ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ СВИНЕЙ НА ОТКОРМЕ

The article presents data on the study of the effectiveness of a "Cytosporin" based on B. Subtilis VKM B-3171 D, B. Licheniformis VKM B-3172D, inactivated biomass of the fungus R. citrinum VKM B-4930D on the indicators of digestibility, digestibility and zootechnical indicators in pigs on rearing. The study was carried out on 15 heads of local hogs (F1:(DxL) during the fattening period with an initial live weight of 20‒25 kg at the age of 45 days. The duration of the study is 45 days. The inclusion of a probiotic additive inactivated biomass of the mushroom in the composition of full-fledged compound feeds of experimental groups of growing fattened young pigs. "Cytosporin" provide an increase in average daily live weight gain by 0.79‒3.6% compared to control animals. In growing young pigs of experimental groups that received the studied probiotic additives, the coefficient of digestibility of dry matter increased by 0.24–2.4%, organic matter – by 0.6–1.27%, protein – by 0.17‒2.34% compared to control animals.

New integrated system for raising poultry as a factor of increasing its productivity and metabolic status

The article presents the results of studying the influence of a developed scheme for raising poultry, including the use of 2.0% feed additive and 10.0% feed mixture (corn extract, perlite, corn grist) + 1% selephlan on metabolic processes, growth, development, safety and functional state of the liver of broiler chickens. It has been determined that the joint use of feed additives based on grain processing products and selephlan as a part of complete feeds for broiler chickens contributes to an increase in gross and average daily live weight gain by 6.9 and 7.5%, improvement feed conversion by 1.1%. The use of selephlan made it possible to neutralize the high load on the liver caused by the highly nutritious type of feeding of poultry, maintaining its healthy structure and functional activity, helping to reduce hepatoindicative enzymes by 39.2% (ALT) and by 13.4% (AST), and also activate protein and carbohydrate metabolism throughout the entire productive rearing period, which had a beneficial effect on the growth characteristics of meat poultry and the quality of the resulting livestock products.

Efficiency of the complex mycotoxin adsorbent "Galluasorb" in combined mycotoxicosis of pigs

The paper presents the results of studying the efficiency of the method for preventing T-2, afla-, DON- and zearalenone toxicosis in pigs using the complex mycotoxin adsorbent “Galluasorb”. It is shown that as a result of including “Galluasorb” in pig feed, naturally contaminated with four mycotoxins at once, at the rate of 2.5 kg per ton of feed, a protective effect was observed, which was expressed in an increase in weight gain, feed consumption, a decrease in its conversion, normalization of the clinical status and morpho-biochemical blood parameters. Thus, on the 30th day of the experiment, the absolute increase in live weight in piglets receiving the main diet with mycotoxins with the addition of “Galluasorb” was 13.7 kg, while in piglets of the toxic control group - 11.8 kg. The average daily live weight gain per animal in the same groups was 456.7 g and 393.3 g, respectively. In the toxic control group, feed consumption was reduced by 7.4% compared to the group of animals receiving the main diet with mycotoxins with the addition of “Galluasorb”. A decrease in the feed conversion ratio was also noted in the preventive group. Thus, the use of the complex adsorbent had a protective effect in the natural contamination of feed in the T-2 farm with toxin, aflatoxin, DON and zearalenone. The developed adsorbent also opens up prospects for the use of the natural mineral halloysite in combination with an antioxidant, hepatoprotector and organic sorbent in pig farming.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GROWTH OF HEIFFS OF DIFFERENT LINES OF THE BUKOVINY FACTORY TYPE OF THE UKRAINIAN RED-AND-WHITE DAIRY BREED

The study was carried out in the herd of the Myrne breeding farm of the Chernivtsi region on animals of the Bukovyna factory type of the Ukrainian Red-and-White dairy breed. It was established that heifers of the Bukovin factory type of the Ukrainian Red-and-White dairy breed were characterized by good indicators of live weight. In newborn animals, this indicator was 31.9 kg, by the age of 6 months it increased by 5.4 times or by 134.5 kg, by the age of 12 months – by 9.7 times or by 266.9 kg and by 18 – one month old – 13 times or by 369.8 kg. The average age of the first insemination in the herd was 15.5 months, and the live weight of animals at this age was 365.2 kg. The coefficients of variation of live weight, depending on age, were in the range of 8.9–17.1%. This indicator was the lowest in 18-month-old animals. The variability of the multiplicity of increase in live weight was within 18.4–21.3%. It should be noted that the highest coefficients of variation of the multiplicity of live weight increase (21.3%) were observed in 12-month-old heifers. The highest average daily gains were observed in heifers from 3 to 6 months of age and amounted to 825 g, with a variability of 26.8%. Later, with increasing age of the animals, this indicator decreased and in the age period from 15 to 18 months it was 550 g with a variability of the sign of 56.2%. In general, from birth to 18 months of age, the average daily weight gain of heifers was 684.1 g. A comparative analysis of the dynamics of the live weight of heifers of different lines showed that the heifers of the Starbuck line were better in terms of live weight at birth (34.0 kg) compared to their peers other lines During the 18-month growing period, repair heifers of the Starbuck line were significantly better compared to peers of other lines. At the final stage of cultivation, with an average live weight of 417 kg, they exceeded their peers by 8–64 kg. The average daily gain of live weight in the period from birth to 18 months of age was the highest in heifers of the Starbuck line at an average of 710 g, while in their peers of other lines it was lower by 21–112 g. With the creation of proper growing conditions, heifers are capable of high growth intensity and high milk productivity in the following stages of the technological production cycle of obtaining high-quality products.

EFFECT OF FEED ADDITIVE DHQEC ON INDICATORS OF ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN FATTENING PIGS

World consumption of pork is steadily increasing, with the growing demand for pork being met by increasing both the number of pigs and their slaughter weight. However, pork production faces negative factors leading to the development of oxidative stress, which does not allow the genetic potential of the breeds to be fully realised. Particular attention is paid to the post-weaning period in pigs, when they are exposed to numerous stresses, with low adaptive capacity. This is an important period in pig rearing as it is often accompanied by temporary low feed intake, poor growth, intestinal dysbiosis and diarrhoea after weaning. These factors pose a threat to animal health and welfare, increasing the risk of mortality and leading to significant economic losses. For many years the problem of oxidative stress has been solved by the use of zinc oxide in the diets of weaned piglets. The use of natural antioxidant additives in pig diets is becoming more and more relevant in pig breeding practice. Natural antioxidants include ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E) and dihydroquercitin. The aim of our research was to create and test a feed complex with the additive properties of antioxidants and vitamins. We developed a new feed complex of Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) with vitamins E and C (DHQEC), which was fed to boars at a dose of 0.025% of the basic diet during the whole period of fattening. The concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the blood serum of experimental animals was found to be significantly higher (p<0.1) by 12.5% at the end of the study compared with the control group. There was also a dynamics of oxidized glutathione concentration (GSS) decrease in experimental group animals, as well as a significant increase (p<0.05) of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSS) ratio by 45,9%. The concentration of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) was reliably lower (P<0.05) by 33,6% in comparison with the control group, while the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was 48.2% higher in the period before slaughter (p<0,1) in experimental group. The main effect of feeding DHQEC in mixed fodders was evident in the improvement of average daily live weight gain (ADG), including at the beginning of the experiment, the 1st week (p<0.10), and in the first period of fattening (5-8 weeks, p=0.09; 8 weeks, p<0.05). These indices testify to effective action of antioxidants and promote reactivity of organism and stress resistance, which raises the indices of productivity.

Использование жиров различного происхождения в комбикормах для бройлеров

Purpose. Determination of the effectiveness of using fats of various origins in compound feed for broiler chickens. Materials and Мethods. A scientific and economic experiment was carried out on 4 groups of broiler chickens of the Cobb-500 cross at the Verkhnevolzhskaya Poultry Farm (Russia, Tver region). The poultry-rearing period was 37 days. Broilers in the control group received the main diet according to the growing phases; for chickens in the experimental groups, part of the sunflower oil in the diet was replaced with animal feed fat "Olisa": in group 2 – 0.5% in CCF Rost, 1.0% in Finish-1 and Finish- 2; in group 3 – 1.0% in CCF Rost, 1.5% in Finish-1 and Finish-2; in group 4 – 1.5% in CCF Rost, 2.0% in Finish-1 and Finish-2. The dynamics of live weight were recorded by weekly control weighing of broiler chickens. The safety of the poultry population was determined by counting dead birds. The absolute and average daily gain in live weight, the cost of feed per 1 kg of gain in live weight, the productivity index and other indicators were also determined during the growing process. Results. The introduction of 1.5% animal feed fat “Olisa” into the compound feed instead of part of the sunflower oil in CCF Rost and 2.0% in Finish-1 and Finish-2 contributed to an increase in both the average daily and absolute gain in live weight. The latter indicator was higher in broiler chickens of the fourth experimental group by 8.6% compared to the control group. Poultry from the same group had a higher meat yield per 1 m2 of floor area. Their productivity index was higher than in the control group by 6.6%. At the same time, the safety of poultry population in all groups participating in the experiment was high. Conclusion. Replacing part of the sunflower oil in feed with animal fat in the optimal dosage contributes to obtain high live weight, daily gain, safety of broiler chickens and productivity index.

Отечественный ферментный препарат в комбикормах для молодняка свиней на откорме

Abstract. Rational organization of feeding is always one of the decisive factors for achieving high productivity of animals. An important task of modern pig breeding is to reduce costs by increasing the digestibility of digested feed nutrients by the animal's body. One of the significant ways that are necessary to solve the task can be considered the additional inclusion of biologically active substances in the composition of animal feed for farm animals, namely modern enzyme preparations of a new generation. The animal body needs them to increase the digestibility of nutrients coming from the feed. The purpose is to study the effect of “Feedbest P5000 GT” enzyme preparation as part of compound feeds on the growth, development and feed costs of fattened young pigs. Methods. In order to achieve this goal, a scientific and economic experiment was conducted on young pigs of large white breed aged from 60 to 210 days. For the experiment, 4 groups of young pigs of 12 heads each were formed according to the principle of analog groups, taking into account breed, gender, age, and live weight. The animals are kept in groups. To determine the effectiveness of “Feedbest P5000 GT” for the growth and development of fattened young pigs, weighings were carried out every thirty days and animal measurements were taken, in addition, the consumption of feed and residues for the next day was taken into account. The composition of compound feeds enriched with “Feedbest P5000 GT” enzyme preparation during the experiment allowed to increase the growth, development and reduce the cost of compound feed per unit of production of fattened young pigs. Results. The use of “Feedbest P5000 GT” enzyme preparation in compound feeds made it possible to increase the average daily live weight gain of young pigs by 4.8 %, 9.3 % and 6.8 %, to obtain a reduction in feed costs by 4.7 %, 8.6 % and 6.5 % compared with the young pigs of the control group. The best indicators were found in animals of the second experimental group, where the studied enzyme preparation in the amount of 90 g/t was additionally introduced into the compound feed. Scientific novelty. For the first time, studies have been conducted to determine the optimal dose of the enzyme preparation “Feedbest P5000 GT” in compound feeds for young pigs. The effect of the drug on growth, development and feed costs has been studied.

Sazer-Fredin index – an effective method of assessing young pigs for feeding and meat qualities

The purpose of the work was to investigate the fattening and meat quality of young pigs of different intrabreeddifferentiation according to the Sazer-Fredin index and, based on the obtained data, to calculate the economic efficiencyof the results of the experiment. The research was carried out in the Dnipropetrovsk region and the animalhusbandry laboratory of the State Institution “Institute of Grain Crops of the National Academy of Sciences”. Theassessment of young pigs of the large white breed in terms of fattening and meat qualities was carried out consideringthe following indicators: average daily gain in live weight during the period of control fattening, g; the age of reaching100 kg live weight, days; thickness of fat at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae, mm; length of the cooled carcass,cm; the length of the bacon half of the chilled half-carcass, see. Control fattening of young pigs was carried out infarm conditions, according to M. D. Berezovsky and I. V. Khatka's method (2005). It was established that the youngpigs of the large white breed of the controlled population belong to the elite class by the age of reaching a live weightof 100 kg, the Thickness of the lard at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae, and the length of the chilled carcass.Taking into account the intrabreed differentiation according to the Suzer-Fredin index, it was established that theyoung pigs of experimental group I prevailed over peers of II in terms of the average daily gain of live weight duringthe period of control fattening by 4.23 %, the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg – 1.83 %, the Thickness of lardby the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae – 14.47 mm and the length of the chilled carcass – 0.31 %. The leading indicatorsof the average daily increase in live weight during the period of control fattening and the length of the chilledcarcass and the minimum values of the age of reaching the live weight of 100 kg and the Thickness of lard at thelevel of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae were found in young pigs of group I-b. The criterion for selecting highly productiveanimals according to the Sazer-Fredin index is young pigs with a variability of the specified mathematical modelfrom +0.089 to +0.591 points. The pairwise correlation coefficient between young pigs' fattening and meat qualitiesand the Sazer-Fredin index ranges from -0.413 (tr=2.93) to +0.248 (tr=1.66). The maximum increase in additionalproduction was obtained from young pigs of the first experimental group according to the Sazer-Fredin index(+1.47 %). The value of additional products obtained from young pigs of the specified group provided that the salesprice for 1 kg of live weight of young pigs at the time of the study was UAH 67.4. is + UAH 101.93/head.

Improved representation of cattle herd dynamics for bio-physical modelling of pathways to a climate neutral land sector

CONTEXTLivestock production contributes to food security and livelihood improvement globally but places a significant burden on the environment. In Ireland, an ongoing transition towards highly profitable dairy production after the phasing out of EU milk quotas has changed the composition of the national cattle herd with more dairy and fewer beef cows. This shift impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting across different cattle cohorts, e.g. increasing the proportion of calves from the dairy herd. Dairy x beef crossbreeds (DxB) increasingly contribute to national beef output, leveraging larger average daily liveweight gain (ADG) traits from beef breeding bulls. OBJECTIVEProspective modelling of climate and land consequences arising from alternative cattle production strategies requires more accurate simulation of cohort-specific ADG and associated feed requirements and GHG emissions. METHODSA new COHORTS model was developed to improve national climate scenario mitigation modelling. COHORTS is capable of simulating 21 genetics-gender-age cohorts calibrated to Irish performance, using just a few basic input parameters (at minimum dairy- and beef-cow numbers). A cohort specific ADG and average standing liveweight is estimated for each genetic (pure dairy calves, DxB and pure beef calves), gender and age combination, enabling more accurate calculation of energy requirements and enteric fermentation emissions based on IPCC Tier 2 calculations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSNational simulation of cattle numbers, enteric fermentation emissions and beef outputs were validated against relevant Irish inventories. For the period between 2006 and 2020, simulations resulted in total cattle numbers, emissions and beef production within 4%, 1.8% and 0.5%, respectively, of officially reported data. Our results indicate that climate projections based on average emission factors for pre-adult cattle cohorts may overestimate emissions in scenarios with projected growing dairy calf numbers and declining beef calf numbers. SIGNIFICANCEValidation using a 15-year data time series provides a high degree of confidence that COHORTS can be used to represent future herd dynamics in a wide range of scenarios, supporting robust policy regarding GHG mitigation, livestock production and land use – distinguishing between different levels of dairy or beef specialisation and across different levels of performance to predict forage (land) requirements and GHG emissions more accurately. COHORTS can be easily adapted for other countries, even when limited data are available.

Signs of individual development of young pigs and their relationship with fattening and meat qualities under the condition of industrial technology of their cultivation

The purpose of this work was to investigate the indicators of individual development of young pigs and their relationship with fattening and meat qualities under the condition of industrial technology of their cultivation, as well as to calculate the economic efficiency of the research results. The experimental part of the work was carried out at Agroprime Holding LLC of the Odesa region, the laboratory of innovative technologies, and experimental livestock facilities of the Institute of Pig Breeding and APV of the National Academy of Sciences. The assessment of animals according to indicators of individual development, fattening, and meat qualities was carried out taking into account the following characteristics: live weight at the time of birth, at 4 and 6 months of age (kg), average daily increase in live weight during the period of control fattening (g); age of reaching live weight of 100 kg, days, length of chilled carcass (cm); length of the bacon half of the cooled carcass (cm); fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (mm). A comprehensive evaluation of young pigs according to individual development indicators was carried out using the index “intensity of formation” and “uniformity of growth”. Biometric processing of research results and calculation of the economic efficiency of research results were carried out according to generally accepted methods. It was established that the young pigs of the 1st experimental group (intrabreed differentiation according to the “formation intensity” index (Δt = 0.9354–1.0871) outperformed the peers of the 3rd experimental group (Δt = 0.5737–0.7077) in terms of average daily live weight gain on 37.6 g (td = 2.87; P < 0.01), age of reaching 100 kg live weight – 5.6 days (td = 3.35; P < 0.01), Tyler B. index – 3.03 points (td = 0.73; P > 0.05). The maximum length of the chilled carcass (97.0 cm) and the minimum thickness of lard at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (20.5 mm) were found in animals of the III experimental group. The difference between the animals of the experimental groups (intrabreed differentiation according to the “evenness of growth” index) in terms of live weight at birth, at 2 and 4 months of age, average daily live weight gain, age at which live weight is 100 kg, fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae and the length of the chilled carcass is 7.20 %. The number of reliable correlations between indicators of live weight at the time of birth, at the age of 2 and 4 months, fattening and meat qualities, the index “intensity of formation” (Δt), “growth intensity” index and Tyler B. index is 71.42 %, which indicates the effectiveness of their use in selection and breeding work. The use of young pigs with the index “intensity of formation” Δt = 0.9354–1.0871 and the index “intensity of growth” Ig = 0.0143–0.0185 provides additional production at the level of +2.65 – +2.20 %, respectively.

Effect of on-arrival bovine respiratory disease vaccination on ultrasound-confirmed pneumonia and production parameters in male dairy calves: A randomized clinical trial

The high degree of commingling and accumulation of stressors during and after transport makes prevention of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) extremely challenging in the veal and dairy beef industry. Upon arrival, vaccination for agents involved in BRD is practically most achievable, but its efficacy under such conditions in dairy veal calves is unknown. Given the high prevalence of subclinical pneumonia in these settings, the primary objective of the present study was to determine the effect of 2 vaccination protocols administered upon arrival against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus (BPI-3), and Mannheimia haemolytica on clinical BRD and lung ultrasonographic findings in dairy veal calves. In addition, the effects of vaccination on average daily live weight gain and cold carcass weight were determined. In this randomized clinical trial, 443 male dairy calves were assigned to one of 3 groups: a negative, placebo-controlled group (n = 151), a vaccination group with 2 subcutaneous injections 4 wk apart with an inactivated vaccine containing BRSV, BPI-3, and M. haemolytica (parenteral [PE] group; n = 149) and a second vaccination group receiving an intranasal live-attenuated vaccine containing BRSV and BPI-3 and 2 subcutaneous vaccinations with the same inactivated vaccine as the PE vaccination group (intranasal-parenteral [IN-PE] group; n = 143). Clinical scoring and quick thoracic ultrasonography (qTUS) were performed on all calves on arrival (wk 0), at the peak of respiratory disease (outbreak; wk 1), at the end of the first antimicrobial group treatment (wk 3), and at a long-term evaluation point (wk 10). Culture and nanopore sequencing on nonendoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) samples were used to identify pathogens involved in the outbreak. Upon arrival, 15.1% of the calves had lung consolidation ≥1cm and incidence quickly rose to 42.8% during the outbreak. In both the PE and IN-PE group, the odds of pneumonia in wk 10 were reduced by 62% (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23-0.64) and 41% (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.37-0.96), respectively. Short-term cure rate (50.3%), as determined immediately after the first group antimicrobial treatment, was not influenced by vaccination. In contrast, long-term cure rate, determined at wk 10, was affected by vaccination with higher cure in the PE group compared with the control group (69.4% vs. 51.2%; OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.1-5.0). Average daily gain in the first 10 wk of production was not affected by vaccination. Vaccination resulted in an increase in cold carcass weight of 3.5 and 4.3 kg in the PE (95% CI = -0.9-7.9) and IN-PE group (95% CI = -0.17-8.7), respectively. In conclusion, under the conditions of the present study, vaccination upon arrival resulted in a reduced prevalence of pneumonia at wk 10 of production, likely caused both by an improved cure rate of secondary infections and a reduced incidence of new cases between outbreak and long-term evaluation. The present protocol, using qTUS for pneumonia detection and nBAL diagnostics for pathogen identification adds a new dimension to randomized clinical trials on respiratory disease in calves.

Marker-assisted and Genomic Selection of Beef Cattle

This article provides an overview of modern genetic technologies for improving production traits and predicting breeding value in beef cattle. In particular, in marker-assisted selection the most promising is the selectionby desirable genotypes in the genes of myostatin (MSTN), calpain (CAPN), calpastatin (CAST), growth hormone (GH), leptin (LEP), thyroglobulin (TG), fatty acid binding protein (FABP), retinoic acid C-receptor (RORC), diacyl-glycerol acyltransferase (DGATI), sterol-Co desaturase (SCD). A modern and much more advanced approach is the Single Step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Predictions (ssGBLUP) method, which calculates a Genomic Estimated Breeding Value (GEBV) using DNA chip genotyping, phenotype and pedigree data. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), based on the use of genetic markers distributed throughout the genome and in non-equilibrium linkage with at least one of the quantitative traits, are currently recognised as more informative for finding new genes for beef cattle productivity. New genes associated with live weight at different stages of ontogenesis, average daily live weight gain, residual feed intake, carcass weight and flesh content have been identified. Most of the identified genes control cell division, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. The accumulated data on full-genome association studies and exome sequencing led to new methods of genetic analysis – gene ontology and gene networks. The use of gene networks provided the first detailed understanding of the genetic basis for the formation of complex phenotypic traits based on the complex interaction of regulatory networks of «major» and «peripheral» genes controlling the development of a particular trait.

Fish oil supplementation as an omega-3 fatty acid source during gestation: effects on the performance of weaned male goat kids.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fish oil supplementation, as an omega-3 fatty acids source, to ration of does in the different periods of pregnancy on the fattening performance of kids after weaning. Eighty German Fawn × Hair crossbred does were randomly divided into two groups; half were given fish oil in the first half of pregnancy (FO group), while the other half were given saturated fat (PF (control) group). Then, the goats in the FO and PF groups were randomly divided into two subgroups, and half of the goats were fed fish oil during the second half of pregnancy (FO-FO and FO-PF groups), while the other half was fed saturated fat (PF-FO and PF-PF groups). Thus, study groups of kids were formed according to the nutrition program of the does described above. Forty-seven male kids (84.6 ± 2.44 days old; 14.5 ± 3.09 kg live weight, mean ± standard deviation) were fed for 56 days after weaning, and their weight, feed consumption, serum biochemical parameters, carcass performance, and meat quality characteristics were evaluated. Maternal nutrition significantly affected live weight gain and serum AST, glucose, total protein, and globulin concentrations (P ≤ 0.050). The live weight gain of kids in the PF-PF and PF-FO groups was higher than that in the FO-FO and FO-PF groups. Maternal nutrition tended to affect the hot and cold carcass weights of male kids (P = 0.078 and P = 0.084, respectively). In conclusion, fish oil supplementation during gestation could negatively affect the fattening performance of kids after weaning, especially the daily live weight gain, although it tended to positively affect hot and cold carcass weights.

A study on the Determination of Some Reproductive Traits of Ewes and The Growth Performance of Lambs Akkaraman Raised under Farm Conditions in the Province of Niğde

In this study, the reproductive and growth performance of Akkaraman sheep between 2017-2021 were evaluated within the scope of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Project in the Hand of the Public, which is being carried out in the province of Nigde. In the research, data obtained from 30923 animals in 22 farms in 7 villages in the central district of Nigde province were used. In the study, the effect of year, dam’s age, gender and birth type on birth weight (BW), live weight on day 60 (LW1), live weight on day 120 (LW2), daily live weight gain (DLWG) on day 120 were investigated. The effects of year, dam’s age, gender and birth type on BW, LW1, LW2, DLWG were found to be statistically significant. While the effects of year, dam’s age and gender were found to be statistically effective on SR, the effect of birth type was found to be insignificant. In the study, fertility, fecundity and litter size in Akkaraman lambs were determined as 0.92, 1.03 and 1.13, respectively. As a result, remarkable progress has been achieved in Akkaraman lambs in terms of performance characteristics (LW1, LW2 and DLWG) between 2017 and 2021.

Experimental phytobiotic Phytostimplus and its application to calves

The purpose of the research is to study the composition of biologically active compounds of the experimental biological supplement Fitostimplus and its influence on the biochemical parameters of the blood of calves of the milk growing period, body weight gain, safety. In the experiment Holstein calves starting from the age of 3 days were used during 2 months. The results of studies of the phytobiotic for the presence of biologically active substances showed that it contained 13 different flavonoids and their glycosides, 7 ecdysteroids. As the main flavonoids there were identified luteolin, quercetin, quercetin-3-methyl ether, apigenin, kaempferol, and as ecdysteroids - ecdysten, inocosterone and augasterone C. The total concentration of the studied extractives (flavonoids, ecdysteroids) in terms of dry product corresponded to 3.594 mg/g. The concentration of lactic acid microorganisms in Phytostimplus was 4×106 CFU/g. In the experiment on calves (n = 5 per group) it was found that after daily oral administration for 60 days Phytostimplus in doses of 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 grams per head, the average daily gain in live weight in the experimental groups exceeded that in the control by 6.3-27.7 %. The best indicator of the average daily gain in live weight of calves was noted with the introduction of 2.0 and 3.0 grams (27.7 and 18.2 % higher than in the control, respectively), safety in all groups was 100 %. A month after the start of the experiment, the phosphorus index in the blood of calves in all experimental (from 3.1±0.07 to 3.4±0.02 mmol/l) and control (3.1±0.01 mmol/l) groups exceeded reference values by 6.9-17.2 %. At the end of the experiment, the phosphorus index in the experimental (from 2.7±0.22 to 2.8±0.07 mmol/l) and control (2.6±0.01 mmol/l) groups returned to normal. Glucose in the experimental and control groups (from 5.3±0.2 to 5.9±0.1 mmol/l) was 15-28.2 % higher than the reference values. Other studied biochemical parameters in the experimental groups: ALT (from 13.4±1.6 to 19.9±2.2 units/l), AST (from 56.3±3.2 to 63.3±4.8 units/l), total protein (from 62.0±0.1 to 65.0±0.1 g/l), albumins (from 39.3±1.4 to 41.5±2.4 g/l), creatinine (from 64.8±3.5 to 72.8±6.6 µmol/l), urea (from 2.7±0.16 to 3.6±0.3 mmol/l)– did not go beyond the physiological norm. Thus, by the end of the experiment, Phytostimulus contributed to an increase in the average daily gain of calves in comparison with the control. The effective doses of Phytostimplus for calves of the milk growing period were established, which, in terms of the main substance, corresponded to 2-3 g/head per day.

Effects of Individual and Pair Housing of Calves on Short-Term Health and Behaviour on a UK Commercial Dairy Farm.

Social pair housing of calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts for calves, so this study aimed to compare the health and behaviour of calves kept in individual compared to pair housing on a single commercial UK dairy farm. A total of 457 Holstein and Jersey heifer calves were recruited and systematically allocated to individual and pair housing. Weekly visits were conducted up to 8 weeks of age, with weight and presence of clinical disease measured using both a standardized scoring system and thoracic ultrasonography. A subset of calves (n = 90) had accelerometers attached to monitor activity, with CCTV placed above a further 16 pens to allow behavioural assessments to be made via continuous focal sampling at 1 and 5 weeks of age. During the study, there was a mortality rate of 2.8%, and an average daily liveweight gain (ADLG) of 0.72 kg/day, with no significant effect of housing group (p = 0.76). However, individually housed calves had increased odds of developing disease (OR = 1.88, p = 0.014). Accelerometer data showed that housing group had no effect on lying times, with a mean of 18 h 11 min per day (SD 39 min) spent lying down. The motion index was significantly higher in pair-housed calves (F1,83 = 440.3, p < 0.01), potentially due to more social play behaviour. The total time engaged in non-nutritive oral behaviours (NNOBs) was not impacted by housing group (p = 0.72). Pair-housed calves split their time conducting NNOBs equally between inanimate objects and on their pen mates' body. Individually housed calves spent significantly more time with their head out of the front of the pen (p = 0.006), and also engaged in more self-grooming than pair-housed calves (p = 0.017), possibly due to a lack of socialization. The overall findings of this study indicate that within a UK commercial dairy management system, pair-housed calves were healthier and more active than individually housed calves, while housing group did not influence ADLG or the occurrence of NNOBs.

Functional additive based on natural premix in the diet of quails

The results of the experiment on the use of functional additive in the diet of growing quails on the basis of natural organomineral complex (sapropel) enriched with wheat bran, coniferous flour, pine nut shells and enzyme preparation Fitbest WP are presented. The experiment lasting 60 days was conducted according to the standard methodology on Japanese quails. For the experiment, two similar groups of 60 birds each (one control and one experimental group) were formed at one day of age. Both groups received basic mixed fodder corresponding to the physiological characteristics and age of the quails. In the ration of young animals of the experimental group 10% of the wheat mass was replaced by a functional additive consisting of sapropel (50%), wheat bran (20%), coniferous flour (15%) and pine nutshells (15%), enriched with the enzyme preparation Fitbest WP (100 g/t mixed fodder) designed to increase the absorption of phytate phosphorus. The birds were kept in a cage battery under the required microclimate conditions. The effect of feeding the experimental additive on the following indicators of quail chickens was studied: safety, average daily gain of live weight, meat productivity and meat quality, biochemical composition of blood. Introduction of the functional additive on the basis of natural premix (sapropel) into the mixed fodder of quails increased the safety of birds by 2.00%, live weight gain by 6.97% with no significant differences in the consumption of mixed fodder per unit production. The meat of the poultry that consumed the functional additive increased the dry matter content by 0.85%, ash by 0.61%, calcium and phosphorus by 1.05 and 1.30 times (p &lt; 0.05). Intergroup differences in protein content and fat content were insignificant. Hematological parameters of quail chickens in the experimental groups corresponded to the physiological norm.

Hranidbena i mesna svojstva mladih svinja različitog intenziteta formiranja u ranoj ontogenezi i unutarpasminske diferencijacije prema genu za melanokortin 4 (Mc4r) receptor

The aim of this study was to investigate young pig fattening and meat quality due to the varying formation intensities in early on- togenesis and two genotypes based on the mel- anocortin receptor 4 (Mc4r) gene. To calculate the correlations between traits and the econom- ic efficiency of using animals of experimental groups in industrial complex conditions, the assessment of animals for fattening and meat quality examined the following characteris- tics: average daily live weight gain during the control fattening period in grams; age of reaching 100 kg live weight in days, chilled car- cass length in centimetres; length of the bacon half of the cooled carcass in centimetres; lard thickness at the thoracic vertebrae T6-T7 in millimetres. Further, the biometric processing of research results and calculation of the eco- nomic efficiency was performed. Young pigs of the controlled population met the requirements of the 1st class and the elite class for fattening and meat qualities. In examining the interbreed differentiation of large white breed animals, the melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) gene determined that the Mc4rAG genotype outperformed the Mc4r AA genotype for average daily live weight gain, age at live weight of 100 kg, lard thickness at T6-T7, and chilled carcass length by an average of 4.50%. The difference between groups for the Tyler B's index was 11.82 points, and according to the average daily increase in live weight, the disparity between young pigs of interbreed differentiation according to the formation intensity index was 4.69%, the age of reaching 100 kg live weight was 3.10%, and the chilled carcass length was 1.23%. The num- ber of reliable connections between fattening and meat qualities, and the formation inten- sity and Tyler B indices was 75.0%, indicating their promise for use in selection and breeding work. The maximum increase in additional production was obtained from young pigs of the Mc4r AG genotype (+2.71%) and of group I, in which the formation intensity index ranged from 0.935 to 1.087 points (+2.65%).

Randomised Control Trial Investigating the Efficacy of Meloxicam and Sodium Salicylate Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Calf Cautery Disbudding.

Disbudding calves using hot iron cautery is a routine management procedure to destroy the germinal cells around the horn bud in calves. It is recommended that NSAIDs are used in conjunction with local anaesthesia to reduce pain in calves during and after the procedure. In this study, two treatment groups were examined; calves in the positive control MEL group received subcutaneous meloxicam, and SAL calves received sodium salicylate orally for three days, both in addition to a local anaesthesia. Tri-axis accelerometers were attached to the calves, and DLWG (Daily Live Weight Gain) was measured. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups with regard to DLWG (p = 0.52), MI (motion index (p = 0.66)), lying bouts (p = 0.96) or lying times (p = 0.54). Given these findings, sodium salicylate may offer a lower-cost option for farmers when given at licensed doses compared to meloxicam, as well as providing a reduced-stress method of NSAID administration via an oral route. In addition, this study identified significant differences in activity in the time periods before and after disbudding, with MI (p < 0.01), lying bouts (p = 0.002) and lying times (p < 0.001) indicating changes in behaviour which extended to five days post disbudding.

A complex mineral additive for feeding of steers of Black-and-White breed

The need for minerals is so high that without their additional introduction into the ration it is impossible to ensure the normal growth and development of young animals. The purpose of the research was the use of diff erent doses of a complex mineral additive in the rations of steers in diff erent rearing periods. The research was carried out on steers of Black-and-White breed under the conditions of LLC “Sever” in the Kurtamyshsky district of the Kurgan region. The possibilities of increasing the productivity of steers with the use of a complex mineral additive including 11 mineral components that compensate for the rations of steers for phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt and selenium, which contributes to an increase in live weight and average daily gain of steers. It was found as a result of the conducted studies that feeding the complex mineral additive when rearing of steers together with the main ration in the age period of 6–9 months contributed to a greater increase in live weight by 2,38 and 5,22 kg per head. The average daily gain in live weight of steers during this period in the 1st and 2nd experimental groups was higher by 4,22 and 8,87 %, compared with herdmates of the control group. The live weight of the control group steers at the age of 12 months was 306,25 kg, in the experimental groups 311,40 and 324,10 kg, the superiority was 5,15 and 17,85 kg (p &lt; 0,05). The average daily gain in live weight during the rearing period of 9–12 months in the experimental groups of steers was higher than 3,15 and 14,39 % compared with the steers of the control group.