Abstract
The article presents the results of a study of the effectiveness of the combined use of air ionization and essential oils in the technology of raising young calves. The purpose of the work was to veterinary and sanitary assessment of the influence of these factors on the parameters of the air environment and the physiological status of young animals in industrial animal husbandry. The research methodology was based on the principles of evidence-based veterinary sanitation and included a sanitary-hygienic, microbiological and zootechnical assessment of animal conditions. The experiment was carried out under production conditions on two groups of control and experimental calves, 15 heads each, which were under identical feeding and keeping conditions. The experimental set of measures included air ionization and dosed spraying of natural essential oils. The effectiveness of the developed approach was assessed by the dynamics of microclimatic indicators, the level of microbial contamination of the air in the respiratory zone of animals, as well as by clinical and physiological markers of the condition of calves. The experiments were carried out according to a single protocol for 20 days with replication in different seasons of the year to confirm the reproducibility of the results. It has been established that the combined use of aeroionization and essential oils has a pronounced sanitary-correcting effect on the air environment of calves. This is expressed in a decrease in microbial load and optimization of microclimate parameters, mainly relative humidity and level of sanitary comfort. The data obtained indicate a decrease in the risk of developing respiratory pathologies, as well as the formation of favorable conditions for physiological adaptation and maintenance of natural resistance of young animals.