Use of sweet yellow clover (Melilotus officinalis) extract in sheep feeding

¹ Kuzbass State Agricultural Academy, 5 Markovtsev St., 650056 Kemerovo, Russia
² Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 14 A. Nevsky St., 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia
³ Kemerovo State University, 6 Krasnaya St., 650000 Kemerovo, Russia

^* Corresponding author: elen.ulrich@mail.ru

Abstract

During the study, it was found that an increase in the dose of sweet yellow clover extract from 0.5 to 2.5 mg/kg of live weight per day contributed to an increase in the number of: hemoglobin by 1.83 g/l (1.79%), leukocytes by 0.14 thousand 109/l (2.34%), total protein in blood serum of sheep by 0.43 g/l (0.7%), glucose in blood of sheep by 0.18 mmol/l (4.19%), calcium in blood of sheep by 0.14 mmol/l (5.32%), phosphorus in blood of sheep by only 0.08 mg/100 ml (1.6%), contributed to an increase in the live weight of sheep by 220 g (2.18%). In the control group, two sheep out of six got bronchitis. The percentage of sheep with bronchitis was 33.33%. After feed to the sheep different doses of sweet yellow clover extract, the sheep in groups I and II of the experimental groups had one sheep each (16.67%), while in groups III, IV and V there were no sheep with bronchitis. Thus, increasing the sweet yellow clover dosage in sheep’ diet reinforced their immunity. In the control group and in the first experimental group, one sheep out of six came down with dyspepsia. The percentage of sheep with dyspepsia was 16.67%. After feed to the sheep doses of sweet yellow clover extract, there were no dyspeptic diseases in sheep.