MEAT PRODUCTIVITY OF DAGESTAN MOUNTAIN YOUNG RAMS WITH THE INCLUSION OF FEED ADDITIVES IN COMPOUND FEED

Abstract

For the intensive rearing of young sheep, the most crucial role is played by the organization of complete feeding, achieved through the optimal combination of various feed additives in the diet. The experimental part of the study was carried out on young rams up to 4 months of age in the agricultural enterprise “Agrofirma Shamgoda” in the Republic of Dagestan in 2025. The inclusion of feed additives (FA) from the processing industries of the agro-industrial complex “LaktuVet” (3%) and ProteinFood (3, 5, and 7%) in the starter feed contributed to live weight gain and the production of high-quality meat in young rams at 4 months. The experiment involved 60 Dagestan mountain lambs, which were divided into four groups of 15 pairmatched animals each. The young rams in the control variant received a basic diet (BD) consisting of mixed meadow hay, starter feed, and a mineral premix. The rams of the II, III and IV experimental groups also received FA “LaktuVet” (3%) and FA “ProteinFood” (3, 5 and 7%) as part of the basic diet modified by partially replacing sunflower meal from the total weight of the feed ingredients. At the time of weaning the lambs from the ewes, at 4 months of age, the experimental groups showed an advantage over the control group in live weight and average daily gain of 2,8 and 3,5%; 5,6 and 5,9%; 20,0% (p ≤ 0,01) and 23,0% (p ≤ 0,01). When feeding FA as part of compound feed, the yield of fresh carcasses at slaughter of young rams at 4 months increased by 5,85% (p ≤ 0,05), 7,53% (p ≤ 0,05) and 27,60% (p ≤ 0,001), internal fat – by 18,19% (p ≤ 0,01) and 2,37% (p ≤ 0,001), slaughter yield – by 1,59; 1,21 and 3,03 abs. %.