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THE WAYS OF INCREASING THE EFFECTIVE POTENTIAL OF THE CATTLE DAIRY PRODUCTIVITY IN THE OREL REGION UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF RUSSIA'S WTO ACCESSION Piskunova O.G., Kleimyonova N.V., Malakhova N.A.,
Smagina T.V., Lishchuk A.P., Researchers Orel State Aagrarian University, Orel City, Russia
E-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The important condition for increasing production of livestock products is providing dairy farms and specialized complexes with highly productive animals. The successful solution of this task requires the development and application in practice of the most rational, science-based systems of breeding farm animals taking into account specialization of livestock.
KEYWORDS
Calves; Vitamin D; Digestion; Breeding; Stimulation; Forestomachs.
Russia's WTO accession assumes its own strong and steady economy. To a great extent it refers to the agricultural industry, where a dairy cattle breeding is one of the most important branches of farming.
Nowadays this branch undergoes fundamental changes. There appear large livestock and dairy complexes which keep highly productive animals. In this regard the correct organization of herd replacements breeding is of great importance.
In the dairy cattle breeding there are various schemes of herd replacements feeding which consider the needs of animals for nutritious and biologically active substances. However, it is necessary to have such a scheme of feeding which will consider the physiological features of the feed consumption, metabolism, growth and development of dairy herd replacements, especially when transitioning from the milk food to the plant food [1, 3].
The possibility of maximum realization of genetic potential of dairy cattle productivity depends on the knowledge of results of influence of various physiological feeding factors on the processes of feed consumption, digestion, metabolism and animal productivity. The data on the influence of providing the growing young dairy cattle with biologically active substances including vitamins on the parameters of feed consumption processes of digestion and metabolism and intensity of animals' growth are of special importance. [3-5].
However, the influence of vitamin D provision of diets for calves in the first months of life on the parameters of feed consumption, digestion, metabolism, growth and development of animals, especially with high productivity potential still remains unstudied. Yet, vitamin D provision is very important for a growing organism as it is known to grow at the expense of bone weight increase in the first months of life [3, 4].
Taking all these facts into consideration, we conducted the research on studying the features of feed consumption, processes of digestion and metabolism and growth intensity in calves of black-and-white Holstein cattle at various kinds of their diet provision with vitamin D.
MATERIAL AND RESEARCH METHODS
The researches were conducted using heifer calves of black-and-white Holstein cattle, of the same age, live weight, birth, distributed by 12 heads in a group. The generally accepted method of breeding young stock on the farms of the Central Black Soil Zone was taken as a basis of feeding calves from their birth to 6 months of age: 350 kg of milk, 200 kg
of concentrated forage, 260 kg of hay, 400 kg of silage and 21 kg of beet molasses [2, 4]. The differences between groups of calves of the first days of life consisted in the level of their vitamin D provision.
The necessity of studying vitamin D level in a diet of calves was explained by the lowest reserve of vitamin D in a body of newborn calves in comparison with reserves of other vitamins (according to both our and literature data). Besides, preliminary studies showed that in diets of calves from the first days of life the deficiency of vitamin D amounts from 13 to 35% even when they are given 5-6 liters of milk per day [1, 3].
The animals of the first group had the vitamin D level which met the norm, the animals of the second group had the vitamin D content in a diet which was by 10% higher than the norm, the animals of the third group, along with vitamin D 10% increase in a diet in comparison with the norm, had regular pastures, the animals of the fourth group, in addition to the vitamin D content increase in a diet and regular pastures, got special mixed feed which substituted 20% of milk.
RESULTS OF RESEARCH
While studying the palatability of plant food among the calves in the experimental groups it was noted that vitamin D provision level of their diets influenced the food consumption very positively. In the three-month old calves that got the vitamin D increased by 10%, the parameter of plant food consumption was by 11.1% higher than this parameter in calves that had the vitamin D level in a diet which met the norm. The calves of the third experimental group which along with the vitamin D level increased by 10% in a diet had regular pastures, the plant food consumption increased by 15.8% in comparison with this parameter in the calves of the first experimental group [4, 5].
When studying the parameters of ruminant digestion among the three-month old calves of the experimental groups it was noted that the intensity of the ruminant digestion processes judging by the number of bacteria and infusorians in the ruminant fluid, as well as by the activities of hydrolytic enzymes and metabolites concentration, increased together with the increase of the level of the vitamin D food for calves and was the highest one in the calves of the third experimental group [4, 5].
When studying the parameters of digestion and use of nutrients in diets for the 3-month old calves in the experimental groups, it was noted that together with the increase of the vitamin D level in a diet of calves in the second and the third experimental groups not only the nutrients consumption of a diet increases, but also their use and the digestibility coefficients. Thus, the digestibility coefficients of dry matter of a diet in 3-month old calves of the first, second and third experimental groups were 68,29; 69,17 and 69,73% respectively. The difference of the digestibility coefficients between the second group and the first one, as well as between the third and the first experimental groups is reliable at P <0,05 [5].
The protein digestibility coefficients of a diet in the calves of the first, second and third experimental groups were 75,99; 78,78 and 78,73% respectively. The difference between the second and the first group, as well as between the third and the first group is reliable at P <0,05 [5].
When studying the growth intensity of calves it was noted that the 6-month old calves in the first, second and third experimental groups had the live weight of 132,5±1,5; 146,5±,1.3 and 151,7±1.6 kg respectively. The difference between the second group and the first one is reliable at P<0, 05 and between the third group and the first one - at P<0, 01 [5].
Such parameters of food consumption, nutrient digestibility and growth intensity of calves allowed to decrease the consumption of whole milk in the scheme of feeding from 350 kg to 280 kg without any harm to the growth and development of animals of the fourth group that had the increased vitamin D level and regular pastures.
Besides, the research revealed the further growth and development of the experimental heifers after the completion of the experiment.
During the research the calves of the third experimental group had the highest parameters of the live body weight and an average daily gain of live weight. The calves of the
second and fourth experimental groups took a middle position between the calves of the first and third experimental groups according to the live body weight and an average daily gain of live weight. However, it is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the cost of breeding calves of the fourth group was lower because of the substitution of 25% of milk by mixed food in the scheme of feeding.
The live weight of the 18-month old calves in the second, third and fourth experimental groups was 332,8±4,8 kg, 352,0±2,3, 360,5±1,7 and 360,5±1,3 kg respectively, and the difference in the live weight between the calves of the second, third and fourth experimental groups and calves of the first experimental group was reliable (P<0,01)[5].
At the age of 18 months the calves of all experimental groups were inseminated, and they were taken care of until their calving. After the calving the animals of the experimental groups were maintained on the pasture in the similar feeding conditions.
The average daily yield of milk was defined in first-calf heifers of the experimental groups in the third month of lactation. The control milking of first-calf heifers of the first, second, third and fourth experimental groups revealed the average daily yield of milk per head. It was 15,10±0,25,16,00±0,31,16,90±,0,21 and 16,60±0,19 kg respectively. The difference in an average daily yield of milk between first-calf heifers of the second, third, fourth experimental groups and first-calf heifers of the first experimental group was reliable (P < 0,05). The consumption of feed units per 1kg of milk in first-calf heifers of the first, second, third and fourth experimental groups was 1,01, 1,04, 0,98 and 1,00 respectively. [5].
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the research revealed the direct dependence of the milk productivity of the first-calf heifers in the experimental groups which were bred at various levels of vitamin D in diets and under different maintenance and feeding conditions on the live body weight in the insemination period.
On the base of these data it is possible to conclude that with the increase of the productive potential of dairy cattle there is a need of revision of feeding norms and ways of the maintenance not only of lactating cows but also of herd replacements.
REFERENCES
1. Zelenkov, P.I. Cattle breeding / P.I.Zelenkov, A.I. Barannikov, A.P. Zelenkov.-Rostov-on-the Don: Feniks, 2005.
2. Norms and diets of livestock feeding, Advisory tool,- 3-d addition, revised and enlarged edition under A.P.Kalashnikov, V.I.Fisinin, V.V.Shcheglov, N.I.Kleymyonov.- M,2003.-456 pp.
3. Sirotinin V.I. Young stock breeding / V.I. Sirotinin.-SPb: Lan, 2007.-222 pp.
4. Kozlov, A.S. Effective system of breeding young herd replacements is an important condition of milk production / A.S. Kozlov, O.G. Piskunova, A.N. Mitin, B.U. Martynov. -Orel: Vestnik Orel SAU.
5. Piskunova O.G. Digestion processes in black and white Holstein cattle at the various vitamin D provision / O.G. Piskunova. - Diss.for scientific degree in Biological Sciences-Orel: Orel SAU, 2010.-134 pp.
