Dynamics of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of calves with the application of feed additive

Gastrointestinal diseases of calves, manifested by the symptom complex of diarrhea, in the postnatal period lead to significant economic outgoings. There is a constant search and development of new means and methods for the prevention of this pathology. The aim of the research was to study the effect of the feed supplement on the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of calves in the early postnatal period. The experiment was carried out under production conditions in one of the farms in the Omsk region. Two groups of calves (experimental and control, five animals each) were formed according to the principle of analogues. The animals of the experimental group were fed with milk including feed supplement - Gumaten, the calves of the control group were fed with the main diet. The research was carried out in two stages. At the beginning of the experiment, at the first stage, fecal samples from the rectum were taken from all animals (experimental and control) to study the microbiocenosis of the digestive tract in the postnatal period. At the second stage of research, after the completion of the experiment on the use of the drug, samples were taken for the second time to study the qualitative and quantitative composition of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Microbiological studies of samples were carried out according to accepted methodological recommendations. The main biological properties of isolated microorganisms were studied, their resistance to antibacterial drugs was determined. As a result of the experiment, a positive effect of the feed additive “Gumaten” on the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of calves in the postnatal period was established. After a course of drinking the drug in the calves of the experimental group, a decrease in the number of opportunistic pathogenic microflora and the absence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, as well as an increase in non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, were noted.