EFFECTIVENESS OF FEEDING DRY BREWERS GRAINS TO REPAIR HEIFERS OF THE JERSEY BREED
Authors: Veres A. A. , Kryvyi M. M. , Slavov V. P. , Polupan Yu. P. , Кеbkо V. G. , Dedova L. O. , Murzha I. I. 
Published: May 2019

Introduction. An important reserve for increasing the profitability and competitiveness of livestock production would be solving the problem of feed protein deficiency in animal feeding. Significant contribution to the solution of this problem can be made by using high-protein waste of oil extraction (meal, cake), alcohol (bard), brewing (brewers grains) industries for feeding purposes.

Since the liquid brewers grains is poorly preserved and easily spoiled, especially during the summer, and its transportation over long distances requires large costs, in this regard, there is a current problem of drying the liquid brewers grains and its usage as a high-protein fodder for feeding animals in dry form as part of animal mixed fodder.

The purpose of our research is to study the effectiveness of feeding dry brewers grains to repair heifers of the Jersey breed.

Research materials and methods. Research on the feeding dry brewers grains effectiveness was carried out on repair heifers of the Jersey breed at the age from 2 to 12 months on the basis of the farm SE “Dan-milk” in Cherniakhiv district of Zhytomyr region. Dry brewers grains produced by private joint-stock company (PJSC) “Obolon” were used for the research.

Research result. The content of crude protein in 1 kg of dry brewers grains, which was used in scientific and economic research, was 24.46%, or 244.6 g per 1 kg of dry brewers grains.

In order to study the effectiveness of feeding dry brewers grains, three groups of repair heifers of the Jersey breed were formed for the research, 8 heads each, according to the following scheme: one control group of repair heifers, and the other two were research groups.

According to the research scheme, the control group of repair heifers received a standard grain mixture without dry brewers grains. The difference in the feeding of repair heifers of research groups consisted in different levels of feeding dry brewers grains, which was included in the grain mix of the II research group in the amount of 15%, and the III research group - in the amount of 20%.

As a result of the research, there was an increase in the average daily gains of the II research group heifers, which ration included 15% of dry brewers grains in the mixture composition: for the period from 2 until 6 months – up to 0.811 kg against 0.786 kg, for a period from 6 until 12 months – up to 0.671 kg against 0.657 kg, for a period from 2 until 12 months – up to 0.727 kg against 0.709 kg in the control group.

At the age from 9 and 12 months of cultivation of repair heifers of the II research group, which grain mixture included 15% of dry brewers grains, there was a tendency of the main body measurements increase: height at the withers, chest girth and oblique torso length, compared with the repair heifers of the control group. In heifers of the III research group, which ration included 20% of dry brewers grains of the grain mixture, the main body measurements were lower than in heifers of the control and II research groups.

While studding main hematological indicators of the repair heifers of the control and research groups at the age of 6 and 12 months of cultivation, it was found that the inclusion of 15% of dry brewers grains in the grain mixture of the ration of the repair heifers of the II research group improved their passage of biosynthetic processes and the use of nitrogen, which indicates a tendency to increase in their blood total protein content compared to the control group primarily due to globulins, which indicates an improvement of immune-protective properties in the heifers of this group. The increase in the content of total protein and globulins against the control group in the heifers of the III research group, grain mixture for which included 20% of dry brewers grains, was manifested to a lesser degree.

Summary. The inclusion of dry brewers grains in the grain mixture of the rations of repair heifers of the Jersey breed of the II research group in the amount of 15% of the total weight of the grain mixture, provided an increase in their average daily gains compared to the repair heifers of the control group and amounted to for the period from 2 until 6 months – 3.2%, for the period from 6 until 12 months – 2.1%, for the period from 2 until 12 months –2.6% with a tendency to increase the main measurements at the age of 9 months: height at the withers up to 104.0 cm against 103.5 cm, chest girth – 142.8 cm against 141.4 cm, oblique torso length – 131.8 cm against 131.4 cm in the control group.