PRODUCTIVE EFFECT OF COMPOUND FEEDS WITH A REDUCED PORTION OF GRAIN FEED IN THE DIETS OF YOUNG SHEEP DURING FATTENING

Abstract

The article presents the results of scientific research on the development of recipes of compound feeds of increased productive effect with a reduced proportion of grain feed for young sheep in order to ensure their intensive fattening. The research was conducted in 2024 on the basis of the experimental sheep farm of the State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Scientific and Production Research Institute of Animal Husbandry and Crop Production of steppe areas named after M.F. Ivanov “Askania-Nova” on Taurian type young rams of the Askania fine-fleeced breed. The new compound feeds included cereals of priority for the Black Sea region of Russia: barley and wheat. Sunflower meal was used as a protein component. Products of mill waste were also used, specifically wheat bran, sunflower seed cleaning waste and alfalfa meal. In order to improve the biological effect of the new compound feeds, premixes of increased productive effect were included in their formulation. One of the main research goals was to reduce the proportion of grain components from 80% in standard compound feed, which was taken as a control, to 64% and 59% in experimental recipes No. 1 and No. 2. The results of the scientific and production experiment indicate that it is advisable to use the developed formula of compound feeds in the diets of fattening young rams to ensure their adequate feeding and increase the biotransformation of nutrients into sheep products. The inclusion of experimental compound feed No. 2 in the diets of young sheep on intensive fattening made it possible to increase the growth rate of animals by 11,9% (up to 227 g/head/day versus 203 g/head/day in the control group) while improving feed conversion to 6,37 energetic feed units per 1 kg of live weight gain.