Influence of various technologies on the rearing and subsequent fattening of calves

The article presents the results of a comparative assessment of rearing, fattening and finishing of castrated bulls, as well as the effectiveness of the weaning season for young animals from Simmental cows and supplementary feeding during fattening of cattle. At the complex, calves were raised in three periods; the calves were kept in cages with 10 heads in each. During the second period, the calves were kept in unheated rooms on slatted floors in groups of 100 heads. They were fed indoors. During the third period, the calves were also kept in unheated rooms on deep non-replaceable litter in groups of 200 heads. They were fed in the walking yard. During the rearing period, feed costs at the complex amounted to 5,38 feed units per animal per day, on the farm 5,0 feed units. For 1 feed unit. There were 110 and 108 g digestible protein, respectively. Fattening of young animals after rearing lasted 276 days. During this period, on average, 9,37 feed units and 872 g of digestible protein were spent per animal in the control group, and 9,70 feed units and 922 g of digestible protein in the experimental group. The heaviest carcasses were obtained from castrates at the age of 19 months. When rearing and growing them on an industrial complex. Thus, by the end of fattening, they surpassed their peers reared on a conventional farm in terms of fresh carcass weight by 8% (P>0,99), slaughter weight by 7,8% (P>0,99), and slaughter yield by 0,4%. Their carcasses had a better ratio of pulp, bones, and tendons. The mass of the carcass flesh of the castrates of the experimental group, grown on the complex, was 16,7 kg (P>0,95) more than the control, which were grown on a regular farm. Therefore, the former had a better ratio of meat, fat and bones. The yield of flesh in the castrates of the experimental group was 77,4%, in the control - 75,7%. In our experiment, the average daily gain of castrated bulls grown on the complex was 78 g higher compared to their analogues grown on the farm. The period of growing and fattening castrates to reach a live weight of 450 kg on the complex was 35-40 days shorter compared to their analogues grown on the farm.