The aim of a study was to determine the efficacy of the microbial feed additive containing spores of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis (BioPlus 2B ® ) on performance and health status of rearing calves. Sixty four female Holstein calves, aged on average 16.7 ± 4.5 days, were randomly assigned into two groups of 32 animals: control (C) and BioPlus 2B ® (BP). Milk replacer (MR) and starter mixture (SM) fed to BP group contained 1.32 × 10 9 (±3.2%) and 1.13 × 10 9 (±11.5%) spores of Bacilli strains, respectively. Each calf was fed with 2.25 l of MR two times a day for eight weeks, up to the age of approximately 10 weeks. Starter diet (SD) offered to calves consisted of SM and whole maize grain, which were mixed in ratio 50:50 (wt/wt). Intake of MR was equal in both groups, but SD intake was higher in the whole experiment in the BP group (1075 vs 951 g/d; P<0.01). The BP calves grew faster than C ones in the whole trial (P=0.05), but especially in weeks 3-4 (P<0.05). At the end of the trial the BP calves were about 2.9 kg heavier than the C ones (P<0.001). Feed efficiency, calculated as consumption of ME (MJ) or crude protein (g), was not different between treatments. There were also no differences in the health status and faecal score between treatments. The results of this study suggest the beneficial effect of microbial feed additive containing spores of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis for rearing calves. PROBIOTIC FEED ADDITIVE -CALF PERFORMANCE

The experiment was carried out on 40 Polish Black-and-White HF bull calves (52-87% of HF blood) aged from 9 and 12 days at the beginning of the experiment to 90 days at its end. From the beginning of the trial the calves were offered restricted liquid feed to 56 days of age and concentrates ad libitum according to Iz-PIB-INRA recommendations. The concentrates were without sodium butyrate (control group, C), or with 1% Na-butyrate (group B1), 3% Na-butyrate (group B3) and 0.3% Na-butyrate (group B0.3), and included meadow hay from 0.10 kg/day during the liquid feeding period to 0.20 kg/day after weaning at 57 days of age. Na-butyrate at 3% in the diet reduced feed intake and had a beneficial effect on calf growth and nutrient utilization. The dietary level of Na-butyrate did not cause significant changes in serum β-hydroxybutyric acid concentration of the calves.

Ninety Isa Brown laying hens aged 28 weeks, kept in individual cages, were randomly divided into 6 groups of 15 birds each. Six isoproteinous diets differing in crude fat content and fatty acid (FA) composition were prepared. The source of added fat was linseeds (50 g/kg diet), regular cultivars (Omega and Opal) with a high content of α-linolenic acid (HA), or a modified cultivar (Linola) with low α-linolenic acid-and high linoleic acid (LA) contents, soyabean oil, or LA linseed oil (20 g/kg diet). The control diet, with no fat supplement, contained 19 g, while the experimental diets, 38 g of crude fat per kg. The diets were fed for a 12-week and eggs were collected for chemical analysis at weekly intervals. The dietary fat level had no effect on the fat level in egg yolks. Eggs from hens fed diets with HA linseeds contained 3 times more α-linolenic acid, 2.5 times more EPA (C 20:5n-3 ) and DHA (C 22:6n-3 ) and 27% less arachidonic acid (C 20:4n-6 ) than control eggs (P<0.01). Those from hens fed with LA linseed, LA oil or soyabean oil, had similar levels of linoleic acid, EPA and DHA as control eggs and 14% more arachidonic acid. The ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA was 3:1 in eggs from hens provided with HA linseed, while in the other groups it ranged from 9:1 to 14:1. In contrast to regular linseed, the use of linseed low in α-linolenic acid and rich in linoleic acid in hen diets is not beneficial for the functional value of eggs.

The nutritive value of evening primrose (Oenothera paradoxa) oil cake was estimated from chemical composition and nutrient digestibility. The cake contained on average (per kg): 210 g crude protein, 0.55 UFL, 0.44 UFV, 110 PDI (PDIE -PDIN = -22 g), 92 g PDIA and 100 g of ether extract. The proportion of methionine and cystine in cake was relatively high (1.97 and 2.17 g/16 g N) but that of lysine was rather low (2.00 g/16 g N). Linoleic (C 18 . 2n6 ) -73.1%, y-linolenic (C 18 . 3n6 ) -9,0% and oleic (C 181 n9 ) -6.4% acids dominated in total fatty acid content. Rumen degradability and intestinal digestion coefficients of protein of evening primrose oil cake or seeds were 0.39 and 0.65, respectively.

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