Contents
Zucchini is widely used not only for table purposes, but also as animal feed. Forage squash should have a record yield, but taste is not an important indicator for them. At the same time, farmers do not single out individual varieties and sow high-yielding table varieties for these purposes. Since Soviet times, Gribovsky was referred to such varieties, since its yield reached 80 t / ha. With the development of selection, other high-yielding, zoned squash appeared, the fruits of which animals can successfully consume. The article describes the most preferred varieties, the nutritional value of zucchini for livestock and poultry, cultivation features.
Zucchini is a great food
For animals, zucchini is a good, juicy type of food. It is mainly included in the diet in the summer-autumn period, when the plant bears abundant fruit. However, zucchini can also be stored in a silo for storage, which allows you to feed animals in the first half of winter. To do this, stacks are formed with straw in the amount of 15-20% of the mass of stored zucchini.
Zucchini for feeding an animal has no less nutritional value than beets or, for example, turnips. The juicy vegetable is perfectly digested and promotes the digestion of other feeds. Fruits contain a balanced complex of feed units, dry matter and digestible protein.
Zucchini can be included in the diet of chickens, piglets, rabbits, ducks, turkeys. However, it is not recommended to use a vegetable as the main feed, since it can act as a laxative on the animal’s body.
High-yielding varieties of zucchini for feeding livestock
Zucchini has long been used as a fodder crop both in livestock complexes and in private backyards. At the same time, preference is given to varieties with high yields and a significant proportion of dry matter in the pulp of the fruit. The most preferred varieties for feeding livestock are:
Gribovsky
This variety was grown back in Soviet times on an industrial scale for feeding livestock. Preference was given to him due to unpretentiousness to weather conditions, resistance to diseases. It tolerates well, including drought and low temperatures.
A variety of medium ripening period: the fruits ripen 45-50 days after sowing the seeds. The plant is bushy, vigorous. Its yield reaches 8 kg/m2.
The fruit of this variety is white, up to 20 cm long, weighing up to 1,3 kg. Its surface is smooth and cylindrical in shape. The flesh of the fruit is white, medium density. The share of dry matter in the pulp is about 6%.
Belogor F1
An early ripe hybrid is excellent for forage harvesting. Its fruits ripen within 34-40 days after sowing seeds. The share of dry matter in the pulp is 5,5%. The culture is unpretentious and adapted to weather disasters. The yield of the variety is very high – up to 17 kg / m2.
It is recommended to sow seeds of this variety from March to May, when night temperatures do not fall below +100C. The scheme of sowing the seed into the ground involves the placement of 3 bushes per 1 m2 of the soil.
The fruits of this variety are cylindrical in shape, have a smooth surface, light green color. The pulp is dense and practically does not contain sugar. The average weight of one zucchini is 1 kg. The disadvantage of litter is rough skin, which becomes woody as the vegetable ripens.
Sosnovsky
Early maturing squash variety. Its fruits ripen 45 days after sowing the seed. High yield up to 14 kg/m2. The disadvantage of the variety as a fodder crop is the low content of solids. At the same time, the fruits are sweet, juicy and can be an excellent addition to compound feed.
The variety is heat-loving, sown in May-June. Its bushes are compact, without lashes. Place the plant 4 pcs per 1m2 of the soil.
The shape of the zucchini is cylindrical. The peel is thin, white or beige. The pulp is fibrous, yellow. The average weight of the fetus is 1,6 kg.
When
This variety of zucchini is a real find for farmers. Its yield reaches 23 kg/m2. The plant is unpretentious, perfectly adapted to the conditions of mid-latitudes. True, the fruits ripen for a long time – 52-60 days. Sowing seeds is recommended in May.
The advantage of this variety of zucchini is the high content of solids in the pulp – 6%. The fruit has a cylindrical shape, light green color with bright green stripes. The surface of the vegetable is smooth. The length of the zucchini reaches 30 cm, weight 1,6 kg.
Iskander F1
The hybrid has a high yield of up to 15,5 kg/m2. At the same time, its taste qualities allow people to consume the vegetable, and even more so to feast on animals. The fruits of this zucchini are abundantly tied even at low temperatures. The variety is early ripening: a little more than 40 days pass from the day of sowing to the receipt of the first harvest. Zucchini was bred in Holland, but grows well in domestic latitudes, is resistant to many diseases. Seeds can be sown in March-April. The bushes of the plant are compact, so it is recommended to place them in 4 pieces / m2.
The fruits of the Iskander F1 variety are light green in color. Their skin is very thin, waxy. The length of the vegetable is up to 20 cm, the average weight is 640 g. The flesh is cream-colored, juicy, with a high sugar content.
You can hear the feedback of an experienced farmer about the yield of this variety and the suitability of its fruits for feeding livestock in the video:
Agrotechnics
Growing fodder zucchini is not much different from cultivating table vegetables. So, for zucchini, it is better to choose light soils on which legumes, potatoes, cabbage or onions were grown in the previous season. It is recommended to grow zucchini in temperate climatic zones by sowing seeds directly into the ground, in the northern regions it is possible to grow seedlings. Seed consumption for fodder crops is 4-5 kg per 1 ha.
In the process of growing zucchini, weeding and fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers are necessary. Both immature and biologically mature zucchini are suitable for feeding animals. Harvesting begins in July and continues until frost.
Forage squash can be kept fresh for some time in special rooms or silos. The optimal storage conditions are recognized: temperature +5 – +100C, humidity 70%. Also in private farmsteads, the dry harvesting method is used.
Zucchini is a grateful crop, unpretentious to growing conditions, requiring no special care, great for feeding livestock. The abundant yield of the plant allows you to feed cattle and poultry in the courtyard not only during the cultivation season, but also to stock up a treat for them for the winter season.