Abstract
This article presents the results of research on the effectiveness of a feed additive based on a spent mushroom substrate aimed at improving animal productivity and health. The experiments were conducted on rabbits and dairy goats. During the experiment, the effect of a mushroom substrate additive on the body weight of rabbits was studied. According to the results of the experiment, it was found that rabbits from the experimental group showed an average body weight gain up to 3.06 ± 0.27 kg, which is 18.6% of the initial weight. A significant body weight gain is the evidence of the positive effect of a feed additive on the animal development and digestive process. In contrast to the experimental group, the control group, receiving a traditional diet, showed a decrease in body weight by 1.9%, which indicates a possible insufficient supply of essential nutrients. The research conducted on dairy goats of the Kamori breed using feed containing spent mushroom substrate showed a noticeable increase in milk fat content from 3.03 to 5.93%, which is 2.9% higher than the initial indicators. These results indicate that the mushroom substrate not only improves animal growth rates but can also significantly increase the dairy production productivity. The results of the research allow us to conclude that the spent mushroom substrate can be effectively used as a feed component to increase the productivity and health of farm animals, which opens up prospects for its introduction into feeding practice.