Peculiarities of nutrient digestibility of rations of pregnant ewes with the additional introduction of cobalt

The results of studies on the effect of various doses of cobalt with an optimized level of sulfur in rations of Askanian meat-and-wool ewes on digestibility of nutrients of consumed feed and digestibility of the studied mineral elements are presented. It was established that the level of nutrient digestibility of rations was higher in ewes of the experimental groups, which, to the generally accepted norm, were additionally injected with cobalt chloride in the amount of 10 %, which was equal 0.825 mg, 20 % – 0.900 mg, and 30 % – 0.975 mg per head per day . As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the ewes of the second experimental group differed in the highest indices of digestibility of nutrients of the ration, which increased the rate of cobalt by 10 %. The additional introduction of 20 % and 30 % cobalt to the basic ration did not contribute to a further increase in the digestibility factors of nutrients in the body of ewes of the experimental groups. The research has shown that the uptake of cobalt by experimental ewes increased as this element increased in the rations. Thus, 0.31 mg of cobalt was assimilated by the ewes of the second experimental group, which is 0.06 mg or 20.0 % higher compared to the control group; to the third-group of ewes by 0.07 mg or 28.0 % and to the fourth-group ewes by 0,08 mg or 32.0 % compared with analogues of the control group. However, when calculating these indicators in relative terms, it was established that the highest percentage of cobalt absorbed from that received was in the ewes of the second experimental group. Their advantage relative to the control group was 4.60 % (P <0.01), and III and IV experimental groups – 2.11 and 0.19 absolute percent.