Science: News and Articles
Belgorod ProStor — For Effective Livestock Farming
"The coming years will be marked by a significant growth in feed additive production, including innovative ones. The time has come for the active use of antibiotic-free growth stimulants; mycotoxin activators that help combat pathogenic microorganisms and ensure feed safety."
Executive Director of the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), Alexander De Agheed.
The intensive development of livestock farming places increased demands on the feed production industry. Economic research and practical experience show that this factor determines the success of livestock product manufacturing. Effective use of feed rations is a critical task of modern animal husbandry of paramount importance.
Given the feeding resource limitations that typically exist on a farm, one should not succumb to the temptation of a simple solution: drastically simplify the diet, exclude all additives, provide only the minimum required energy, protein, vitamins, and somehow get by until better times. Such an approach is erroneous and will lead to decreased efficiency and profitability of livestock production.
On the contrary, with high costs of feed raw materials, it is necessary to ensure their most effective utilization, the most complete absorption of nutrients and energy for production.
The most effective innovative regulator of the digestive system is a multifunctional preparation combining several mechanisms. It is precisely the duplication of enzymatic and other functions of the digestive system that is an important condition for its stable operation in cases of changes in the feed regime and decreased immunity in animals.
Experimental research by development technologists and livestock specialists on creating the ProStor preparation was carried out specifically for the purpose of comprehensive impact on the animal organism, intensification of the digestive system, stimulation of metabolic and immune processes, and providing "bioprotection" of the organism.
ProStor differs from most analogous preparations of domestic and foreign production:
- the preparation contains a unique association of effective microorganism strains, unmatched among available preparations,
- live bacterial cells exist in biofilm form, ensuring their protection and high efficacy in the GI tract,
- the preparation contains enzymes synthesized during microbiological production and other biologically active substances, ensuring guaranteed application effect,
- medicinal herbs give the product enhanced biological value.
Echinacea possesses immunomodulatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
Milk thistle is used for prevention of various liver damage. Milk thistle preparations enhance the liver's protective properties against infection and poisoning. The positive effect of the plant extends to both the liver and the entire gastrointestinal tract. Milk thistle powder works at the micro level, cleansing liver cells.
Thus, the complex preparation ProStor possesses probiotic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, ensures increased feed digestibility, stimulation of metabolic and immune processes, and enhances the efficiency of feed ration utilization.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the ProStor dietary supplement in pig feeding at the Gorin Collective Farm, experiments were conducted in the fattening unit on two groups of fattening gilts and an experiment on two groups of weaned piglets at 34 days of age.
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION
Experiment I was conducted in fattening unit No. 1 on two groups of fattening gilts of 80 heads each. The control group animals were fed a complete compound feed balanced for all nutrients according to accepted feeding standards.
The experimental group received the same compound feed with ProStor additive at a dose of 0.5 kg/t of compound feed.
Experiment period: from December 11, 2015 to January 19, 2016.
Experiment duration: 39 days.
Table 1. Results of Experiment I
| Parameters | Control | Experiment | +/- vs Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals at start, heads | 80 | 80 | 0 |
| Live weight per head, kg: - at start of experiment | 60.0 | 57.5 | -2.5 |
| - at end of experiment | 92.3 | 91.4 | -0.9 |
| Average daily weight gain, g | 828 | 869 | 41 |
| Feed cost per 1 kg weight gain, feed units | 3.26 | 3.07 | -0.19 |
| Cost of feed consumed per 1 c of weight gain, RUB | 2491.6 | 2346.7 | -144.9 |
| Value of additional weight gain per head, RUB | - | 144 | 144 |
Experiment II was conducted at the "Chaiki" breeding farm on two groups of weaned piglets at 34 days of age, 26 heads per group. The control group received a pre-starter with protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate without probiotic.
Piglets of experimental group II additionally received the ProStor dietary supplement at a dose of 0.5 kg/t of compound feed.
Experiment period: from December 26, 2015 to January 9, 2016.
Experiment duration: 14 days.
The experiments demonstrated high effectiveness of the ProStor dietary supplement introduced into the pre-starter compound feed and compound feed for fattening pigs. This was manifested in increased growth energy and reduced feed costs per 1 c of weight gain.
- Average daily weight gain during fattening was 869 g, which is 41 g or 5% higher than the control.
- Feed costs per 1 c of weight gain decreased by 0.19 c of feed units, or 6.2%, and in monetary terms by 144.9 rubles.
The established pattern was also observed when using the ProStor dietary supplement in pre-starter compound feed.
- Average daily gains of weaned piglets increased by 67 g compared to the control and amounted to 370 g.
- Feed costs per 1 c of weight gain decreased by 0.06 c of feed units, or 4.2%, and in cost terms by 190 rubles.
Results of Experiment II
| Parameters | Control | Experiment | +/- vs Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals at start, heads | 26 | 26 | 0 |
| Live weight per head, kg: - at start of experiment | 7.51 | 7.76 | 0.25 |
| - at end of experiment | 11.75 | 12.94 | 1.19 |
| Average daily weight gain, g | 303 | 370 | 67 |
| Feed cost per 1 kg weight gain, feed units | 1.44 | 1.38 | -0.06 |
| Cost of feed consumed per 1 c of weight gain, RUB | 5080 | 4890 | -190 |
| Value of additional weight gain per head, RUB | - | 84.4 | 84.4 |
CONCLUSIONS
The production experiments yielded results confirming the economic effectiveness of the ProStor preparation for use in pig diets, expressed in obtaining additional weight gain worth 85–144 rubles per head.
The payback of the preparation through additionally obtained production demonstrates the feasibility of its use and its competitiveness compared to available analogues, including imported ones.
The use of ProStor ensures increased animal productivity and reduced feed costs per unit of production through better nutrient absorption, activates metabolic and protective functions of the organism, reducing antibiotic load in animals and improving product quality.