INTAKE AND DIGESTION OF FEED NUTRIENTS AND ENERGY BY SIMMENTAL CASTRATED STEERS WHEN FED THE VETOSPORIN-ACTIVE ADDITIVE
The article deals with the problems of nutrients intake and digestion by Simmental steers fed on rations supplemented with Vetosporin-Active probiotic. The aim of the research was to study the effect of the probiotic preparation on the amount of consumed and assimilated nutrients of the diet. The data obtained during the balance experiment and their analysis indicate that the including of the above additive in the diet of castrated steers of the experimental groups stimulated higher intake of all types of nutrients. The steers-castrates of the two experimental groups surpassed their analogues in the control group in the consumption of feed dry matter in the ration by 50.0 g (0.7%) and 160.7 g (2.1%), respectively, of organic matter - by 40.9 g (0.6%) and 62.9 g (0.9%), crude protein - by 5.8 g (0.7%) and 9.0 g (1.0%), crude fat - by 2.0 g (0.6%) and 3.2 g (0.9%), crude fiber - by 10.5 g (0.7%) and 16.2 g (0.9%) and nitrogen-free extractives (NFE) - by 22.6 g (0.6%) and 34.5 g (0.8%). It was proved that the steers - castrates of the experimental group that consumed the additive in a dose of 0.10 g per 1 kg of feed, were distinguished by the maximum intake of all types of nutrients of the feeds included into the diet. It was established that addition of the probiotic Vetosporin-Active into the diet of steers of experimental groups contributed to their better digestion