THE EFFECT OF COMPLEX FEED SUPPLEMENT ON IRON METABOLISM IN THE ORGANISM OF REARING PIGLETS

Abstract

At present, it is known about the effect of various factors, in particular, macro- and microelements on the processes of metabolism, digestion of feed nutrients and physiological condition of pigs. Iron is an important microelement affecting the optimal level of hemoglobin, and in case of its deficit in the organism of piglets, results in anemia and further growth retardation. The results of our own studies as to the peculiarities of iron metabolism in piglets after weaning at administering nontraditional
complex feed supplement (CFS) in the diet were presented in the article. The CFS is composed of liprot, purple coneflower and dry mineral concentrate (is received as a result of mixing mineralized (stratum) water and wheat siftings with further moisture drying to 14-15 %). The purpose of our research was to study the impact of CFS on iron metabolism in rearing piglets’ organism. The investigations were conducted at the Institute of Pig Breeding and Agro-Industrial Production of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, in the laboratories of Embryos Reproduction Physiology and Transplantation, Zoo-Technical Analysis, and the Institute’s experimental basis. To study iron content in the chime of piglets’ different sections of gastro-intestinal tract, the method of binding fistulas on the stomach, empty intestines and ileum was used. Two groups of weaned piglets – control and experimental – were formed. The results of CFS’s effect on iron concentration in the chime of different sections of gastro-intestinal tract, iron balance in the piglets’ organism, the coefficient of its digestibility, iron content in the piglets’ blood at 45 and 105 days of age were presented. During the experiment, the productivity of piglets was studied. It has been established that the digestion of crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber in the piglets of the experimental group almost did not differ from the control group, while better reliable results were obtained as to the digestibility of dry matter – by 2.42 % (p≤0.05), organic matter – by 1.97 % (p≤0.05), and iron digestibility – by 1.76 % (p≤0.05). As a result of the conducted experiments, it has been established the use of diets containing CFS assisted in improving the piglets’ digestion. Iron digestibility in the organism of the experimental animals was by 1.78 % higher than in the control piglets and made 62.89% and 61.11%, respectively. Adding CFS to the diet of young animals raised iron content in the blood serum by 74.86 %. In the process of feeding the CFS to the rearing piglets, the positive effect of the supplement on their growth was registered, which was confirmed by the reliable increase in the average daily weight gain by 17.7 % (p≤0.001).