The effect of Macleaya cordatas plant extract on the digestibility of nutrients in quail feed

Currently, a pressing problem in industrial poultry farming is the development of feed additives as an alternative to feed antibiotics in connection with the fight against resistance and the ban on feed antibiotics in poultry farming. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a phytobiotic additive on the digestibility of nutrients and the retention of mineral elements of feed in laying quails. The use of a phytobiotic additive in quail feed increases the digestibility of dry matter in quails of the 2nd group by 9.6 % (p<0.01), in the 3rd by 6.3 % (p<0.01) and in the 4th by 5.0 % (p<0.05), compared to control analogues. With the use of phytobiotics, the digestibility of crude protein and fat in poultry of the 2nd group was 7.2 % and 8.1 % (p<0.001), in the 3rd by 10.1 % and 12.2 % (p<0.001), and in the 4th by 9.3 % and 10.0 % (p<0.001) higher than in the control group. Additional feeding of quails with phytobiotic feed additive increases the digestibility of crude fiber in the 3rd group by 6.2 % (p<0.05), compared to the control sample. Under the influence of the herbal additive, the digestibility of BER in the 2nd group of quails was higher by 5.3 % (p<0.01), in the 3rd by 12.1 % (p<0.001) and in the 4th by 9.7 % (p<0.001), compared to the control group. Additional consumption of phytobiotics increases the retention of Calcium in the 3rd group by 9.2 % (p<0.001) and in the 4th by 4.3 % (p<0.05) and Phosphorus, Zinc and Copper in quails of the 3rd group by 3.1 %, 8.9% and 6.6 % (p<0.05), respectively, relative to the control. The feeding of the plant-based additive increased the absorption of iron and manganese in the second group. by 10.1 % (p<0.01) and 5.8 % (p<0.05), respectively, in the 3rd by 12.8 % (p<0.001) and 14.0 % (p<0.01), and in the 4th by 11.1 % (p<0.001) and 9.1 % (p<0.01) compared to the control samples. It was found that the highest Nitrogen absorption coefficient was observed under the action of the average dose of phytobiotic, which is 19.4 % higher than the control indicator. It was detected that under the influence of the phytobiotic additive, the Сalcium digestibility coefficient increased in the 2nd group by 4.4 %, in the 3rd by 5.1 % and in the 4th by 3.4 % (p<0.05), compared to the control indicators. Key words: quails, feeding, phytobiotic, digestibility, retention, mineral elements, nitrogen balance.