Hydroponic fodder feeding technologies: impact on financial indicators of farms

Abstract

The presentation deals with economic evaluation of a hydroponic fodder feeding technology dedicated to increasing dairy and beef cattle performance, at the šame time reducing production costs and cost of the produce as well as improving quality of the produce, Research aim: evaluation of economic benefit of the hydroponic fodder feeding technology for livestock and impact on financial indicators of farms. In view of the research aim, economic benefit of application of the technology vvas analysed at five livestock farms subject to the experiment of feeding hydroponically sprouted grasses to cows and fattening livestock. Analysis of sprouted grass feeding to fattening cattle has shown that the costs per kg of vveight gain for the experimental cattle group vvere 3.02% higher than the costs per kg of vveight gain for the control group. This is partially due to the fact that the sprouted grasses vvere fed in addition to the conventional fodder diet. Taking into consideration that the costs of the sprouted grasses accounted for approx. 7% of the totai costs, and the difference betvveen costs per kg of vveight gain vvas only approx. 3%, the economic benefit of the sprouted grasses vvas considered to have been determined. Alfalfa sprouting vvas found to have been the most costly due to the alfalfa seed price 4.92 EUR/kg. To compare, the price on other seeds vvas 0.25-0.29 EUR/kg. Average vveight gain per animal in the experimental group of fattening cattle vvas 3.24% higher than in the control group. Economic results of feeding dairy covvs under the innovative technologies have demonstrated that the cost of 1 litre of milk at the farms exercising the experimental feeding technology vvas ranging from 0.26 to 0.32 EUR/kg. The costs on fodder in the totai cost comprised 0.12-0.13 EUR/kg, including the sprouted grasses, vvhich accounted for approx. 10-20%, depending on the kind of the sprouted grass.