ARTEMISIA AUSTRIACA AND ANTHEMIS RUTHENICA HAY AS A FEED ADDITIVE FOR DAIRY SHEEP

Abstract

Plants with high content of biologically active substances (BAS) can be used
as a mean to increase milk performance. Artemisia austriaca and Anthemis ruthenica have a
plenty of various BAS. We studied the influence of hay, which was made from these plants on
milk performance of Askanian fine-wool sheep. The research was carried out in AskaniaNova, Kherson Oblast. There was a significant decrease in milk performance in the control
group during the experiment. Over the whole period of the research, the decrease of milk performance of the experimental groups was noticeably smaller than in the control group, and in
the first half of the experiment, there was even an increase in the average daily synthesis of
milk fat and sugar. This effect was especially strong in the group of sheep, which were fed
with Artemisia austriaca hay: at the end of the experiment, the average daily synthesis of milk
fat was 47,8%, protein – 33,3%, sugar – 30,0% more than in the control group. Possible reasons for the higher milk performance of sheep from the experimental groups are, firstly, the
reduction of subclinical inflammatory processes in the udder, and secondly, a good effect on
the state of the liver. None of the studied plants had a negative effect on the taste of milk, although, for example, the consumption of Artemisia austriaca was much higher than the critical
level at which cows' milk becomes bitter. It is advisable to carry out similar studies on other
breeds of sheep and animals, which are used for milk production, since the results of this experiment suggest that the use of the above mentioned plants hay can be useful in increasing
milk performance.