Evaluation of the quality of hay from the main kinds of grasses harvested by farms of the Vologda region

In most regions of our country, it is impossible to provide animals with fresh grass all year round. Hay is used to maintain their health, normal growth, and development. The development of the livestock industry is closely related to the availability of sufficient feed for cattle. For this reason, the feed must be of excellent quality and contain many nutrients. 1 kg of high-quality hay should contain 6.5-7.5 MJ of exchange energy, 0.4-0.5 of feed units, 60-70 g of protein, and 40-50 mg of carotene. The article presents data on the quality indicators of hay harvested for 2021-2023, obtained in the analytical investigation laboratory using the equipment of the Shared Use Center «Center for Agricultural Research and Biotechnology» of the FGBUN VolNTs RAN (The Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution the Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences). According to the analyses results, the protein content of hay from perennial grasses and legume-grass is far from the norm and is substandard. The best by this indicator was hay from natural lands, which corresponds to the standard of Class II, the share of which was 10.39%. The fiber content in hay ranged from 29.07 to 30.79%, which corresponded to the standard norms of Quality Classes II and III. The study of the energy value of hay showed that hay from sown legume-grass and from that of natural lands belongs to Class I, and grass hay belongs to Quality Class II according to regulatory criteria. When assessing additional indicators of the chemical composition of feed, which are included in GOST R 55452-2021, it was found that in hay from perennial grasses, the concentration of ADF and NDF was 37.24 and 64.84%, equivalent to the standard of Class II, in legume-grass hay the ratio of these indicators was 38.77 and 67.25% (Class II and non-class), and in hay from grasses of natural lands, the concentration of these indicators was included in the regulatory criteria and belongs to Class I. When summing up the hay quality, all standard indicators were taken into account and as a result, it was found that hay from grasses of natural lands and perennial grasses was assigned Classes II and III according to regulatory standards, and from legume-grass stand it was assigned the non-class quality level.