Ecological and Technological Evaluation of the Nutrition of Perennial Legumes and their Effectiveness for Animals

Abstract

Main task of feed production is to provide farm animals with nutrients. Insufficient or excessive intake of these elements can lead to undesirable consequences. For instance, a deficiency in mineral elements reduces the protective function of the animal's body against various diseases and disrupts the functional activity of organs. Conversely, an excess of any element contributes to the expenditure of a significant amount of energy for its removal and, in some cases, leads to poisoning. Imbalanced animal feeding results in decreased productivity and a deterioration in the quality of products, leading to the production of non-viable offspring and a disruption of reproductive capacity. Our calculations have shown that increasing the energy concentration in the diet from 490 to 600 EFU/kg DM, combined with an increase in feed intake by 4.4 kg, ensures proportional energy consumption based on their productivity difference. In our research, we concluded that it is economically advantageous to use the planned norms of the nutrient requirements for cattle in feed planning.