Dynamics of the quality of bulk feeds and its impact on the potential productivity of dairy cattle in the Republic of Tatarstan

Abstract

The article presents the results of long-term monitoring (1975-2024) of the quality of bulk feeds – corn silage and alfalfa haylage – in the Republic of Tatarstan and an assessment of their impact on dairy productivity of cattle. It was found that during the analyzed period, the dry matter content in corn silage increased by 52.2%, and the exchange energy increased by 76.6% (from 8.5 to 11.0 MJ/kg dry matter), which meets the requirements of GOST for class I feed. At the same time, the quality of alfalfa haylage remained unstable due to weather conditions and violations of harvesting technologies: the exchange energy remained at a low level (9.3-9.5 MJ/kg), and the crude protein content varied without a clear trend. Calculations have shown that the use of high-quality feed provides an additional daily yield of 1.58 kg per cow, or 127.4 thousand tons per year, which corresponds to a 6.5% increase in productivity. Thus, improving the quality of bulk feeds by optimizing harvesting times, using adapted varieties of hybrid crops and improving harvesting technologies is a key reserve for the development of dairy cattle breeding in the region, which reduces dependence on purchased energy-protein feeds and additives.