The Use of Non-Conventional Supplementary Feeds in Cattle and Layer Diet

Abstract

It was undertook a number of studies on the effects of introducing new non-conventional vegetable supplementary feeds in the diets of dairy cows and industrial laying hens. Plants are not cultivated for their production, but they refer to wild crops growing in the natural habitat in sufficient quantities. The purpose of the research was to determine the effect of introducing non-conventional vegetable supplementary feeds on the productive qualities of cows and laying hens; quality of products (milk, eggs); nutrient digestibility (use) of laying hens and reproductive functions of cows; and to identify the economic efficiency of using these supplementary feeds by changing feed conversion ratio. The composition of supplementary feeds for cows included sea furbelow, creeping pine needles, lichens. Supplementary feeds consisting of sea furbelow flour and wild crops were introduced into the diet of laying hens: fireweed or rosebay willowherb, stinging nettle, and creeping pine needles. The studies were conducted at the agricultural enterprises. The experiments were performed on Ayrshire and Holstein cows of different lactation periods and the Hisex White laying hens of various age and productive periods. Randomized regimens were used, including 2-5 levels of feeding. The groups of cows were formed by the analog to pair matching method; laying hens were formed by the analog to group matching method and were kept in equal zoohygienic conditions. During group formation, no significant differences in body weight and productivity between the formed groups were revealed (P> 0.05), which indicates the correct selection of groups for the research. As a result, cows improved reproductive functions, increased milk yield, milk fat content and feed conversion; hens showed the intensification of metabolic processes, contributing to an increase in productivity, feed conversion and egg quality (P 0.05), which indicates the effectiveness of using new supplementary feeds.