The effectiveness of the use of natural mineral additives in the diets of young pigs

Abstract

Currently, mineral additives attract special attention of specialists in the fi eld of animal feeding, both in our country and abroad. At the same time, it is advisable to use local raw materials for production such as chalk, sapropel, zeolites, bentonites, etc. Natural zeolites have unique adsorption, ion exchange, catalytic properties, improving the digestibility of feed nutrients, and have a positive eff ect on the physiological state of animals, increase live weight gain, increase the livability of young animals. The purpose of the work was to determine the eff ectiveness of the use of natural mineral additives in the diets of young pigs. The infl uence of natural mineral additives of zeolite and bentonite on the digestibility of nutrients in the diet, the metabolism of nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and the growth rate of young pigs during rearing and fattening was studied. The positive effect of the studied additives on the digestibility of nutrients in animal diets, morphological and biological parameters of blood, nitrogen metabolism, mineral substances and growth intensity has been established. In animals of the 2nd experimental group, who received bentonite as a mineral additive the absolute gain in live weight for the entire period of the experiment was 93,26 kg. Compared with herdmates of the 1st experimental group, the absolute gain in the piglets of the 2nd experimental group was by 4,22 kg or 4,7 % more, and the superiority over herdmates of the control group was by 13,11 kg or 16,4 % (P < 0,05). Thus, feeding zeolite and bentonite in the diets during the rearing and fattening of pigs contributes to increasing the digestibility of feed and the accessibility of nutrients in the diet, as well as increasing their productive traits.