Inclusion of vermiculture biomass grown on a substrate of accelerated fermentation into combined feeds for broiler chickens

Abstract

As the population increases, the problem of meat production will grow. An alternative method of solving this problem is growing broiler chickens; however, with this technology, the question of protein content and available amino acids in poultry feed remains open. Vermiculture biomass can be an inexhaustible source of protein for broiler chickens feeding. Under the vivarium of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, worms were grown on a substrate containing poultry droppings with litter fermented by an accelerated method with the participation of a destructor. Therefore, the work aims to establish the effect of such vermiculture biomass on productivity and protein metabolism in the body of broiler chickens. For this purpose, the broiler chickens of the research groups were fed with compound feed with a content of 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 % of vermiculture biomass. Poultry compound feed from the control group did not contain worm biomass. At the end of the experiment, the bird's body weight was recorded, the absolute and average daily gains were determined, and the indicators of protein accounting in the liver of broiler chickens were determined. It has been established that the body weight of broiler chickens varies depending on the content of vermiculture biomass in compound feed. Using a low dose of worms in the feed did not make it possible to obtain a statistically significant increase in the body weight of broiler chickens. By adding 3.0 and 4.5 % vermiculture biomass to the compound feed, the body weight of broilers increases by 3.5 and 3.7 % compared to the index of birds that were not fed worms. It was found that the absolute and average daily growth of broiler chickens that consumed compound feed containing 3.0 and 4.5 % vermiculture biomass increased by a statistically significant amount. It has been proven that using vermiculture biomass affects the protein metabolism indicators in broiler chickens' livers. In the liver of broiler chickens, which were fed with compound feed with a content of 3.0 and 4.5 % of vermiculture biomass, a tendency to an increase in the total protein content and a statistically significant increase in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was established. In the liver of broilers, which were fed with compound feed with a content of 3.0 and 4.5 % of worm biomass, a tendency to increase the content of total and protein total groups was revealed.