Cows fed hydroponic fodder and conventional diet: effects on milk quality

Use of reclaimed urban wastewater for the production of hydroponic barley forage: water characteristics, feed quality and effects on health status and production of lactating cows

The safety of reclaimed urban wastewater (RUW) for the production of hydroponic barley forage (HBF) was evaluated in terms of effluent and forage characteristics, as well as the health and performance of lactating cows. The study was conducted on a dairy farm equipped with two hydroponic chambers producing approximately 620 kg/d of HBF as fed. For experimental purposes, HBF was produced using RUW collected from an aqueduct plant processing urban wastewater in a membrane bioreactor treatment chain. A feeding trial was carried out with HBF derived from RUW. Sixty lactating cows were randomly assigned to two balanced groups fed a standard total mixed ration (TMR) or a TMR in which 10 kg of HBF replaced 1 kg of oat hay and 0.5 kg of maize. The experimental period lasted 7 weeks, including a 2-week adaptation period, during which each cow underwent a physical examination, BCS scoring, blood sampling for a complete blood count and biochemical panel, recording of body weight and milk yield and quality, including fatty acid composition and heavy metal content. Ruminal pH was continuously monitored by reticulorumen boluses, and nutrient digestibility and N balance were determined at week 7. RUW showed an acceptable microbial load and an overall good quality as irrigation water, even though the supply of N and P did not influence the yield and quality of HBF. The characteristics of HBF reflected the quality of RUW supplied to the hydroponic chambers and no anomalous components (i.e., high ion concentration) were found. Feeding RW-derived HBF to lactating cows had no major positive or negative effects on animal health and production, including milk quality, ruminal pH, in vivo digestibility, and N balance. The use of RUW under the conditions tested appears to be safe for the health status of lactating cows and the quality of the milk obtained. Overall, the results do not reveal any major limitations for the use of tertiary wastewater as irrigation water for the hydroponic production of forage barley, so that a wider use of wastewater in hydroponic systems seems realistic.

Enteric Methane Emission, Rumen Fermentation and Microbial Profiles of Meat-Master Lambs Supplemented with Barley Fodder Sprouts

This study evaluated the effects of barley sprout on the ruminal fermentation characteristics, enteric methane emission and microbiome profiles of meat-master lambs. Twelve uncastrated lambs aged 3 months were used. They were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: Eragrostis curvula hay as a control diet (T1), grass hay plus 25% barley sprouts (T2) and grass hay plus 50% barley sprouts (T3). Animals were fed the diet for 61 days, including 10 days of adaptation. Four animals per treatment were used to collect methane and rumen fluid. Methane emission was recorded for nine consecutive days, from day 52 to 60, using a hand-held laser detector. Rumen fluid was collected on day 61 using an esophageal stomach tube for volatile fatty acid and DNA sequencing. The sprout supplementation had significant (p < 0.05) effects on methane emission and ruminal fermentation. Significant effects on rumen fermentation were observed with regards to ammonia–nitrogen (NH3-N), acetic acid and a tendency (p < 0.0536) to increase propionic acid. Barley sprouts reduced methane gas emission, ammonia–nitrogen and the enhanced body weight of the animals. The bacteria Bacteroidota and Firmicutes were predominant among the identified phyla. In addition, there was a shift in the relative abundance of phylum among the treatments. The principal coordinate analysis showed a clear difference in microbiome among animals in T1 and those in T2 and T3. The sprout supplementation improves feed utilization efficiency by the animals. In conclusion, barley sprouts may be strategically used as a climate-smart feed resource for ruminants.

Effect of hydroponic green herbage on the productive qualities of parent flock geese

Background and Aim:

Green food is the natural diet for livestock and poultry. Therefore, production of green food in sufficient quantities to meet the current demand has emerged as an urgent problem today. The use of natural laylands results in green food shortage, which, in turn, necessitates the application of various methods of artificial production of green herbage. One of these methods is hydroponic cultivation of green grass as animal feed. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the productive and reproductive qualities of geese of the parent herd.

Materials and Methods:

Complex scientific analysis was conducted to explore the effect of hydroponic green herbage used at various dosages (20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% of total diet weight) on the realization of the reproductive qualities of parent flock geese. The methodological framework of this research is the efforts of various foreign and domestic scientists on the topic under study. This research was conducted using generally accepted methods (i.e., experiment, comparison, analysis, and generalization), along with special methods (zootechnical, physiological, biological, hematological, morphological, statistical, and economic).

Results:

The optimal dosage of hydroponic green herbage for geese diet was established, which constituted 25-30% of the total diet weight and increased the poultry population survival rate by 2.0%, egg production rate by 3.8%, and the hatching egg yield by 4.9%. The carotenoid content in egg yolk ranged from 1.62 to 3.50 μg. The content of Vitamins A and B₂ was higher by 3.19 and 2.32 μg, respectively, compared to that in the control. The production profitability level increased by 9.6%.

Conclusion:

By introducing 25-30% of hydroponic greens from the weight of the diet, it is possible to increase the safety of livestock by 2%, the yield of hatching eggs by 4.9%, egg production by 1.46-1.11 μg.