Received 08.04.2024
Revised 14.07.2024
Accepted 27.08.2024
Retrieved from Volume 28, No. 3, 2024
Pages 32 -40
Abstract
Dairy farming is one of the most important areas in the agricultural sector, which regularly provides the country’s population with valuable nutritionally and hygienically safe food products. However, for proper functioning and ensuring a high level of animal productivity, it is essential to take into account such elements as maintaining a consistently high level of sanitary and hygienic conditions in livestock premises, as well as optimising feeding and housing conditions. The purpose of the study was to evaluate different ways of keeping cattle in terms of sanitary and hygienic conditions, taking into account the physiological state of cows. The study was based on zootechnical and breeding records for the previous years of the enterprise’s operation. The research data were calculated using MS Excel 2013. The results of the study indicate that the air in those livestock buildings where dairy cows were kept next to dry cows on a tether had the highest percentage of carbon dioxide at 6 am (0.32%), then during the day this figure decreased to 0.19% and increased again closer to the evening and night time, during which period its value was 0.28%. This indicates that the efficiency of the ventilation system is imperfect in the above method of cattle housing. In addition, the air contamination with microorganisms during the day in different ways of keeping animals had quite clear changes. This is due to the fact that it is during the day that all the most significant technological processes of milk production take place, and this in turn automatically leads to an increase in the number of microorganisms in the air. Thus, taking into account the study of microclimate parameters (air composition, the number of microorganisms in the air, the amount of water vapour), the best option is to separate cows during the dry period from the dairy herd into a specially isolated section equipped with combined boxes, with a free-standing method of housing, which will provide better conditions for keeping dry cows. Thus, compliance with cow housing standards will reduce healthcare costs, increase life expectancy, improve animal welfare and contribute to higher milk production
Keywords:
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