Викладено результати досліджень, що пов'язані з вивченням зміни якісних показників та технологічних властивості м'яса і сала свиней за умов різного складу раціонів, а саме з додаванням Свинцю і Кадмію (сумісно та окремо) в дозі 20 гранично допустимих концентрацій. Надана оцінка ефективності захисного технологічного прийому (згодовування експериментальної рослинної добавки) при одночасному надходженні з раціоном важких металів, з метою відновлення якості продукції свинарства. Встановлено, що Свинець і Кадмій, як при сумісному так і окремому надходженні в організм молодняка свиней з кормом, мали негативний вплив на харчову та біологічну цінність свинини та її технологічні властивості. Під їх дією знижувалась калорійність м'яса, утримання в ньому білку, жиру, сухих речовин, при цьому найсуттєвіші зміни спостерігалися у тварин ІV групи, де Свинець і Кадмій надходив разом. Активна кислотність м'яса та її вологоутримуюча здатність тварин всіх груп знаходились в межах норми. Однак у тварин, які отримували з раціоном підвищені дози важких металів, рН м'яса дещо змінювалось в бік нейтрального середовища (рН-5,3-5,5, при контролі рН-5,1), вологоутримуюча здатність м'яса дослідних тварин коливалась від 55,1 % до 56,5 % (контроль-55,1 %). Під впливом різних за складом раціонів відбувались зміни якісних показників сала дослідних свиней, при цьому достовірно знижувався відсоток сухої речовини (до 2,84 %) і жиру (до 2,79 %) порівняно з контролем. Згодовування тваринам разом з раціоном, що містив важкі метали, експериментальної рослинної добавки, сприяло покращенню калорійності м'яса (до 19,4 %), сухої речовини (до 9,4 %), білково-якісного показника (до 5,9 %) порівняно із тваринами, що отримували з раціоном важкі метали, але без застосування цього технологічного прийому. Цей технологічний прийом сприяв також покращенню якісних показників сала тварин. А саме, відмічалось збільшення % сухої речовини (від 0,4 % до 2,5 %), жиру (від 0,7 % до 3,2 %) та зменшення клітинних оболонок у салі (від 8,6 % до 25 %) порівняно із показниками тварин ІІ-ІV груп та наближення їх до показників контролю Ключові слова: свинина, сало, якість, важкі метали, вологоутримуюча здатність, експериментальна рослинна добавка

During the period from 2005 to 2020, the trotting horse breeding industry in Ukraine suffered significant losses, and the number of breeding horses of the Oryol breed and the Ukrainian trotting breed group being approved decreased by 60–80%, respectively [3]. Today farms engaged in the breeding of pedigree horses are unprofitable, as a result of which the gene pool is impoverished and the herd is reduced. Under such conditions, it is quite difficult to carry out selection in the direction of genetic diversity. In this way, in order to plan effective samplings and selections of animals, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive assessment of not only the breeding herd, but also the young animals that undergo testing [5]. For this purpose, an expert evaluation of trotting horses and thoroughbred riding breeds is held annually at hippodromes. Research purpose was to analyse the current condition of breeding young trotting horses that are tested at hippodromes, according to exterior and performance indicators. Research material and methods. The research was carried out in the production conditions of the branch “Odesa Hippodrome” and Communal enterprise “Kyiv Hippodrome”. The horses of trotting breeds aged 2–4 years, which were tested at these hippodromes and belonged to the following branches of State Enterprise “Horse Breeding of Ukraine” were selected for the experiments: Dibriv stud farm № 62, Zaporizhzhia stud farm № 86, Loziv stud farm № 124 and Lymariv stud farm № 61 (n = 93). To characterize the growth and development of the experimental animals, the following measurements were taken: height at the withers, chest girth, and wrist girth. The measurements were carried out using a measuring stick and a measuring tape according to the method by A. Krasnikov (1959). When evaluating trotters based on the obtained measurements, the Instruction on the grading of breeding horses was used. The working capacity of the studied herd of horses was assessed by the best agility at a distance of 1600 meters. Based on these data, the average rate of agility of horses in terms of breeds and horse owners was derived, and a statistical analysis was carried out in Excel using classic biometric methods by N. Plokhinskyi. Research results. To assess the exterior indicators of the trotter herd, the expert commission conducted a brood of trotters of all sex-age groups and breeds (n = 72). Subsequently, the results of breeding horses at the Dibriv stud farm, which were tested at Communal enterprise “Kyiv Hippodrome” (n = 21), were added to the obtained indicators. According to the breeding results at Odesa Hippodrome, the highest average score for exterior – 5.52 was given to the horses of the Dibriv stud farm. The average rating of this farm horses, which are tested at both hippodromes, was 5.11 points on the grading scale. According to working capacity indicators, the Dibriv stud farm leads among all farms – 7.9 points. Horses of the Zaporizhzhia stud farm received an average score of 5.26 for exterior, and 6.2 for working qualities; from Loziv – respectively, 4.64 and 7.1. The horses of the Lymariv stud farm according to the measurements did not meet the minimum requirements of the Instruction on the grading of breeding horses, and had the lowest average score for performance – 4.7. When studying the horses’ working qualities, it was found that the Dibriv stud farm representatives have the best agility indicators. The average score for working capacity by farm according to the Instruction on the grading of breeding horses is: Dibriv stud farm – 7.9; Zaporizhzhia – 6.2; Loziv – 7.1; Lymariv – 4.7. The herd of trotting stallions of all farms is mostly inferior to mares in terms of both appearance and performance. Consequently, according to the results of the realized actions, the mares received the 1st degree certificate.

Introduction. Preservation of the gene pool of domestic meat breeds is an extremely urgent task in the field of meat cattle breeding. Today, those meat breeds of cattle that were created during the years of Ukraine's independence are on the verge of complete extinction - Ukrainian meat, Volynska meat, and Znamyan types of Poliska meat breed. Livestock of the gray Ukrainian breed - a valuable national treasure that was bred for three centuries and has valuable productive properties that are absent in animals of modern breeds - there is also a small amount left. Materials and methods of research. The loss of domestic breeds is a significant decrease in the unique genetic diversity of livestock, which leads to a significant dependence of the meat and livestock industry on foreign breeding resources. In this sense, the determination of the current state and further prospects of their breeding acquires the significance of the state level. The research was conducted on the basis of the analysis of the materials of the state register of breeding subjects in animal husbandry for the years 2017–2021, data from reports on the certification of meat cattle in the farms of Ukraine, and methods of systematic generalization and graphic, analytical, and comparative statistical methods were used.Research results. Research has established that the situation with beef livestock in Ukraine is extremely difficult. The total number of meat breeds in 2021 was 24.393 heads, including 10.549 cows. Compared to 2017, the total number of these livestock decreased by 18.3% (5.482 heads), including cows – by 4.5% (500 heads). Instead, in 2021, the herd decreased sharply. Thus, as of January 1, 2022, the total number of meat breeds was 20.364, i.e., compared to last year, it decreased by 4.029 (16.6%).Compared to 2017, the total number of these livestock decreased by 18.3% (5.482 heads), including cows – by 4.5% (500 heads). Among breeds of foreign selection, an increase in the population was noted for Aberdeen Angus by 14.4% (995 heads), Limousins ​​- by 116.9% (1197 heads), Charolais - by 67.5% (689 heads), Herefords - by 56.6% (112 heads).Only the number of meat Simmentals and Aquitaine breed decreased by 32.0 and 20.5%, respectively. A sharp decrease in the number of Ukrainian meat breed from 1.918 heads to 630 heads or by 67.2% was established; Poliska meat breed - from 5.784 heads to 2.463 heads or by 57.4%; Volynska meat breed - from 6.553 heads to 2.971 heads or by 54.7%. Despite this, a significant positive increase in the population of Ukrainian gray cattle was observed during the studied period. A breed that was practically lost has hope for revival. If in 2017 its number was 919 heads, then in 2021 it increased by 14.0% and is 1048 heads. However, the number of cows decreased by 2.3% and reached 346 cows in 2021. If in 2017, 48.4% of enterprises were engaged in the breeding of breeding cattle of foreign selection, and 51.8% of domestic ones, then in 2021 farms breeding imported breeds prevailed - 61.2% against 38.8%. It is quite clear that domestic meat breeds cannot compete with European high-performance ones.An analysis of the breeding of pedigree beef cattle in different regions of Ukraine shows that certain regional differences have been revealed over the past five years. Volyn, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv regions are the leaders in the number of livestock, but the total number of livestock in all regions has decreased significantly. The Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Poltava, and Donetsk regions were marked by a gradual increase in livestock during this period. The highest value of this indicator was noted in the Odesa region - from 1.960 heads to 2.521 heads.The Aberdeen-Angus breed had the largest specific weight among meat breeds in Ukraine in 2021 and was 32.4%. Along with this, if among domestic meat breeds in 2017 the first place was occupied by the Volyn beef, then in 2021 - the southern meat by 13.5%. For five years, it was Aberdeen-Angus that had the greatest popularity among all other meat breeds.Conclusions. The inevitable consequences of the further reduction of the livestock population in Ukraine, the decline of meat cattle breeding, the lack of modern breeding methods for improving domestic meat breeds, as well as state support - a direct path to the loss of the domestic irreplaceable gene pool of meat cattle and the industry as a whole. Effective solutions to this urgent problem are possible only at the expense of state support, development and implementation of selection and breeding programs for improving the breeding qualities of breeds, preventing a further decrease in the population of endangered meat breeds by granting personal status to farms and sufficient funding.

The results of studies of the effect of toxic doses of heavy metals, namely Cadmium and Lead (jointly and separately) at the dose of 10 and 20 maximum allowable concentrations on the chemical composition and quality of the muscle and adipose tissues of pigs are presented. The assessment is given of the use of the experimental herbal supplement as protective agent for chronic intoxication with heavy metals. When animals consumed diets with the high level of heavy metals, both jointly and separately, there were changes in the chemical composition and technological properties of muscle tissue and bacon. The content of dry matter, fat, and protein in meat decreased, and these changes were more significant in the organisms of animals receiving increased doses of Cadmium in series I and when heavy metals were fed together in series II, where their content in diets was 20 maximum allowable concentrations. Along with this, in the meat of the animals of the experimental groups, compared with the control, the calorie content and protein-quality index decreased. The active acidity of meat and its water-retaining capacity in animals of all groups were within the normal range. However, in animals that received high doses of heavy metals with the diet, the pH of the meat slightly changed towards neutral environment (pH - 5.3 - 5.5, with pH control - 5.1 - 5.2), the water-holding capacity of the meat of experimental animals ranged from 55.24% to 56.5% (control - 55.0 - 55.1%). Studies of the qualitative indicators of pig bacon experimentally showed that under the influence of Cadmium and Lead there was the decrease in the amount of dry matter (up to 2.84%) and fat (up to 2.7%) in the bacon, the increase in moisture and % of cell membranes compared to control animal groups. With the increase in the dose of heavy metals, negative changes in the chemical composition and technological properties of the meat and bacon of experimental animals were more noticeable. The intake of heavy metals into the organism of animals led to the accumulation of these toxicants in meat, and with the increase in the dose of heavy metals, their accumulation also increased. Thus, the content of Cadmium and Lead in the meat of animals of the experimental groups in both series of experiments exceeded the established MPC for these toxicants, while the excess for Lead was maximum 1.9 times (Group II), and for Cadmium 4.0 times (Group IV). Feeding the experimental feed additive helped to improve the chemical composition and technological properties of meat and bacon of fattening pigs, and to reduce the accumulation of toxins in muscle tissue. Key words: pork, bacon, quality, Cadmium, Lead, water-holding capacity, experimental herbal supplement.