Content
Zucchini is widely used not only for table purposes, but also as animal feed. Fodder squash should have record yields, 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” has been classified as such a variety, since its yield reached 80 t/ha. With the development of selection, other high-yielding, zoned zucchini 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, and cultivation features.
Zucchini is an excellent 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 fruit abundantly. However, zucchini can also be placed in silage for storage, which allows you to feed animals in the first half of winter. To do this, stack stacks 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 easily digestible and promotes the digestion of other foods.The 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, and turkeys. However, it is not recommended to use the vegetable as the main food, 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 farms and in private farmsteads. In this case, preference is given to varieties with high yields and a significant proportion of dry matter in the fruit pulp. The most preferred varieties for feeding livestock are:
Gribovsky
This variety was grown back in Soviet times on an industrial scale for feeding livestock. It was preferred due to its unpretentiousness to weather conditions and resistance to diseases. It tolerates drought and low temperatures very well.
A medium-ripening variety: the fruits ripen 45-50 days after sowing the seeds. The plant is bushy and 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 its shape is cylindrical. The fruit pulp is white, medium density. The proportion of dry matter in the pulp is about 6%.
Belogor F1
The early-ripening hybrid is excellent for preparing feed. Its fruits ripen within 34-40 days after sowing the seeds. The proportion of dry matter in the pulp is 5.5%. The culture is unpretentious and adapted to weather disasters. The productivity 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 drop below +100WITH.The scheme for sowing seeds in the ground involves placing 3 bushes per 1 m2 soil.
The fruits of this cylindrical variety have a smooth surface and light green color. The pulp is dense and contains virtually no sugar. The average weight of one zucchini is 1 kg. The disadvantage of litter is its rough skin, which becomes woody as the vegetable ripens.
Sosnovsky
An early ripening variety of zucchini. Its fruits ripen 45 days after sowing the seed. Features high productivity up to 14 kg/m2. The disadvantage of this variety as a forage crop is its low dry matter content. At the same time, the fruits are sweet, juicy and can be an excellent addition to feed.
The variety is heat-loving, sown in May-June. Its bushes are compact, without lashes. Place the plant 4 pcs per 1 m2 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.
Kuand
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 middle latitudes. True, the fruits ripen for quite a long time - 52-60 days. It is recommended to sow seeds in May.
The advantage of this variety of zucchini is the high content of dry substances 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 makes it possible for people to consume the vegetable, and even more so for animals to feast on. The fruits of this zucchini set abundantly even at low temperatures. The variety is early ripening: just over 40 days pass from the day of sowing to the first harvest. Zucchini was bred in Holland, but grows well in domestic latitudes and is resistant to many diseases. You can sow seeds in March-April. The bushes of the plant are compact, so it is recommended to place them 4 pcs/m2.
The fruits of the Iskander F1 variety are light green. Their skin is very thin and waxy. The length of the vegetable is up to 20 cm, average weight is 640 g. The pulp is cream-colored, juicy, with a high sugar content.
You can hear a review from an experienced farmer about the yield of this variety and the suitability of its fruits for feeding livestock in the video:
Agricultural technology
Growing fodder squash 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 climate zones by sowing seeds directly into the ground; in the northern regions it is possible to grow seedlings. Seed consumption for forage crops is 4-5 kg per 1 ha.
During the growing process, zucchini needs weeding and feeding mineral and organic fertilizers. Both immature and biologically mature zucchini are suitable for feeding animals. Harvesting begins in July and continues until the onset of frost.
Zucchini can be stored fresh for some time in special rooms or silos. Optimal storage conditions are recognized as: temperature +5 -+100C, humidity 70%.Also in private farmsteads the dry harvesting method is used.
Zucchini is a rewarding crop, unpretentious to growing conditions, does not require special care, and is excellent for feeding livestock. The abundant yield of the plant allows you to feed livestock and poultry in the farmstead not only during the cultivation season, but also to stock up on delicacies for them for the winter season.
