Veterinarija ir Zootechnika

Russia's military operations against Ukraine significantly complicate environmental safety in agriculture and the country as a whole. The Ukrainian infrastructure is being destroyed by shelling, heavy metal contamination is caused by mining, the flight of missiles and drones, etc., which is turning into a global problem. Even environmentally friendly territories of Ukraine in the Forest-Steppe soil-climatic zone are subject to local technogenic impact. The production of crop and livestock products in agro-ecosystems requires not only systematic monitoring of quality and environmental safety, but also the development of effective technological methods for the production of environmentally safe cow's milk. Experiments were conducted on dairy cows of the Ukrainian black and red-motley dairy breeds with different types of feeding: silage-root, silage-hay, silage-hay, silage-hay-concentrate. The main diet of cows was supplemented with a specially developed mineral-vitamin premix, taking into account the antagonistic effect of its components on the ecotoxicants lead and cadmium. The animals of the control group were on the main diet, the second and third additionally ate the premix. The average live weight of cows was 500–545 kg. The average daily milk yield was 14.0–14.8 kg. The milk yield of animals was recorded based on decadal control yields. Laboratory chemical analysis of average feed samples for the concentration of macro- and microelements, including lead and cadmium, was carried out by the atomic absorption method. The STATISTICA version 10.0 program was used for statistical processing of the results obtained. The purpose of the research is to analyze the effectiveness of the applied technological methods in feeding productive cows for the production of environmentally safe milk and increasing animal productivity. Chemical analysis of feed showed an increased content of heavy metals lead, cadmium, copper, zinc. Analysis of diets showed a deficiency of macro- and microelements in cobalt (64.5%), iodine (59.8%), phosphorus (43.1%), sulfur (33.5%), calcium (7.6%), magnesium (7.2%) in cows with silage-root type of feeding; silage-hay - cobalt (54.1%), phosphorus (47.4%), iodine (40.1%), sulfur (28.0%), manganese (2.3%); silage-hay - cobalt (80.7%), iodine (65.2%), phosphorus (56.7%), sulfur (5.5%); silage-hay-concentrate – for cobalt (79.83%), iodine (20.15%), phosphorus (50.91%), sulfur (25.15%), manganese (20.15%), magnesium (2.7%). The most deficient in all diets were cobalt (54.1-80.7% average percentage of deficiency), phosphorus (43.1-56.7%), iodine (20.15-65.2%), sulfur (5.5-33.5%), manganese (2.3-20.15%), magnesium (2.7-7.2%) and calcium (7.6%). The deficiency of these essential elements increases the toxic effects of lead and cadmium. Feeding a mineral-vitamin premix contributed to a lower incorporation of heavy metals in the body of animals of the experimental groups, which positively affected their physiological and productivity, which increased on average by 1.3-1.7 times compared to animals of the control groups (P<0.001). The silage-hay type of feeding was the most effective in relation to feeding the premix in the second experimental group. The milk productivity of cows increased by 1.6 times compared to the control group (P<0.001). In cows with a silage-root crop type of feeding, productivity increased by 1.3 times, with silage-hay-concentrate ¬ 1.3 times, with silage-hay ¬ 1.4 times, with silage-hay ¬ 1.6 times, respectively. Balancing the main diet with an antitoxic premix contributed to a slight increase in milk production from 3477–4426 kg per lactation in the first control groups to 5444–5999 kg per lactation in the second experimental groups. Subcutaneous injection of a plant biopreparation enhanced the antitoxic effect of the premix, which also had a positive effect on the productivity of cows in the third experimental groups, where productivity increased by an average of 1.3–1.7 times. Among cows in the third experimental groups, the silage-hay type of feeding proved to be the best, milk productivity increased by 1.7 times compared to the control group (P<0.001). The production of environmentally safe milk in areas of local contamination with heavy metals of technogenic, military origin requires the use of new proven technological techniques with the use of special mineral and vitamin premixes, which allows for maximum balance of feeding, restoration of homeostasis of the organism in which heavy metals are incorporated. Reducing the toxic effect of pollutants ensured the production of high-quality, environmentally safe cow's milk, contributed to increasing the productivity of cows from 3477-4426 to 5697-6899 kg per lactation, which is one of the indicators of the effectiveness of the developed zootechnical methods. Further research is aimed at monitoring the concentration of heavy metals in animal feed of different soil and climatic zones of Ukraine.