NATURAL SORBENT IN FEED FOR CALVES
It is well known that modern technology of feeding of farm animals provides application of the special feed additives preventing emergence of violations of digestion. It is shown that the natural mineral glauconite is highly effective as an agent for preventing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of cattle. The sorption activity of the concentrate of glauconite of Bondarsky Deposit was studied in experiments on the softening of drinking and feed water high-pressure boilers. Perspective possibility of the waste sorbent as biologically active and mineral supplement in cattle feed is shown. The recipe for starter combined feed comprising glauconite (50%) concentrate, it was designed with the purpose of the experimental calves during the feeding of milk.Besides, the processed grain of barley, peas, lupine and corn was a part of compound feed (extrusion) thermally. To compare the results of the calves in the control group were fed the feed without the addition of glauconite, in which instead of the lupine grain was used soybeans. Feeding duration was 120 days. After completion of the experiment, experienced calves had higher live weight control counterparts by 6.2 kg (or 5.3%). Indicators of blood of animals that have consumed glauconitic concentrate, pointed to the intensification of metabolic processes in their body. The simultaneous inclusion of Lupine and glauconite in composition of starter feed provided a lower level of gastrointestinal diseases in calves by 31%. The total duration of the disease in individuals of the control group was 42 days, in calves of the experimental group - not more than 28 days.