THE EFFICIENCY OF USING PEAT AS A FEED SUPPLEMENT IN COMPOUND FEED FOR CHICKENS

Abstract

In recent years, interest in the use of peat as a feed supplement has increased, particularly due to its capacity to prevent enteric diseases and to stimulate growth in animals and poultries. Peat is an easily available natural material and a source of biologically active substances widely used, not only in agriculture but in human and animal medicine as well. Biological activity of various peat preparations is associated not only with fluctuations in the chemical compositions, but also with different application techniques. experiment was carried out on two groups of poultry under the conditions of a poultry farm in the Republic of Moldova. Its purpose was to determine the use of a feed supplement - peat concentrate as a new unconventional feed ingredient in the composition of mixed feed for laying hens and its influence on their egg production, average weight and category of eggs. The objectives of the study included the study of the chemical composition of the peat supplement and the determination of the effect of peat powder additive on the egg production. The effect of the dosage of the peat preparation in the amount of 1% (experimental group) was studied and the obtained results were compared with the control group, in which the laying hens consumed the basic compound feed. The high concentration of active ingredients and the uniqueness of the components of the peat feed supplement, the adsorbing properties due to the presence of humic acids and lignin in its composition, made it possible to increase the natural immune response in laying hens by increasing the egg production of laying hens by 7.2%; by improving the quality of products such as the average egg weight by 4.72%; egg mass by 12.6%; the height of the egg white by 23.96%; the width of the egg white by 2.14%; and an increase in colour intensity by 0.43 units, while reducing the cost of food.