Use of a biologically active lake sapropel–based preparation in calf feeding under the conditions of the Novgorod Region

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a biologically active sapropel-based preparation in the feeding of farm animals and to assess its effect on the productivity of young stock. The study was conducted on Holstein calves aged four months after weaning at the Ermolin skoye peasant farm in the Novgorod Region. The effects of the preparation on nutrient digestibility, biochemical status of the experimental animals, absolute and average daily weight gain, and feed conversion were evaluated. Based on the principle of analog selection, three groups (n = 10) were formed: one control group and two experimental groups. Calves in the experimental groups received, in addition to the basal diet, 5 and 10 mL of the supplement, respectively. The results showed that supplementation with 5 mL of the preparation increased the digestibility of major dietary nutrients by 1.56–3.73 percentage points and improved the protein index, indicating enhanced protein metabolism, bringing it close to the physiological norm (0.76 g/L). The absolute and average daily weight gains of calves in the first experimental group exceeded those of the control group by 8.8% (P < 0.001). Administration of 5 mL of UDGSS reduced the consumption of digestible protein per 1 kg of live weight gain by 8.2%, energy feed units by 8.1%, and metabolizable energy by 9% compared with the control group. Increasing the supplement dose resulted in higher expenditures of digestible protein and metabolizable energy per unit of weight gain by 14.8% and 14.9%, respectively. Experimental data indicate that the optimal dose of the biologically active UDGSS supplement in the diets of young animals aged four to twelve months is 5 mL per head per day. Increasing the dose to 10 mL is not justified, as it does not enhance the positive effect and instead leads to deterioration of physiological and productive parameters.