Use of Chlorella vulgaris as a dietary supplement for quails bred at private farms
Some aspects of improving efficiency of quail breeding in Russia, in particular in private farms were studied. It is emphasized that in times of crisis, private farms are able to solve several problems: provide employment for rural residents, produce food, and serve as a source of additional income for people. In Russia, consumption of animal protein in poultry meat has increased to 34 kg. The aim of the research was to study the issues of breeding quails on small plots, at private farms; the use of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae in the diet of poultry, which has become intensively used in various sectors of the economy, in particular, in animal husbandry and improvement of natural reservoirs. Methods of analysis, observation, experiment, comparison were used in the course of the study; photographing and timing of resources spent on the maintenance of quail birds was carried out. The Russian and foreign scientific literature was studied, the presented material was compared with the results obtained during the experiment. One aspect of successful quail breeding is to ensure a balanced diet - composition of feeds produced by local producers for quails was studied. The observations and experiments carried out on Moscow White Giant quails at E. Moskovets private farm (Volgograd region) proved the expediency of introducing into the diet a feed additive - a strain of Chlorella vulgaris IFR C.111, which contains protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements in sufficient quantities. The technology of poultry feeding with Chlorella vulgaris was shown. It resulted in higher survival rate of quails, increase in poultry live weight, and increase in profitability of production by 1.3 %. Data reflecting the conditions of quail keeping, feeding and cage breeding in small areas and/or private farms were shown.