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THE EFFICIENCY OF USING ZEOLITES IN DAIRY FARMS
Abstract
Natural zeolites and synthetic ones are porous materials characterized by the ability to lose and gain water reversibly, to adsorb molecules having a corresponding cross section diameter (adsorption properties or which act as a molecular sieve), as well as to exchange constitutive cation without a major change in their structure (proprietary ion exchange). The exploitation of these properties underlies the use of zeolites in a wide range of industrial and agricultural applications and in particular in animal nutrition since the middle of 1960. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that natural zeolites represented by volcanic tuff may be used widely in animal feed as performance enhancers, various publications demonstrating that their use exerts various favorable effects on prevention and / or treatment of certain diseases of farm animals. Zeolites are natural, non-toxic products which do not have contraindications and do not pollute the environment. Natural zeolites ensure the necessity of macro and micronutrients for animal and stimulate their health and production. The chemical elements contained in the zeolite are: iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, silicon, aluminum, chromium. Zeolites are under the European Council directives no. 102/2001 amending directive EC/29/1999 on undesirable substances and products used in animals and the recommendation of the Commission since 03.04.2002 on reducing the level of dioxins in animal feed (2002/201/EC). Many researchers have shown that the inclusion of zeolites in food improves the average daily gain and/or the feed conversion index of calves. Also, zeolites have positive effects on milk production of cows. The effectiveness of zeolites depends on the type of zeolite used, the purity and physicochemical properties, and to the level of supplement in the ration. In addition, the size of the zeolitic material particles, the size of crystallites and the degree of aggregation, as well as the porosity of the individual particles determine the actions of zeolites during the passage through the gastro-intestinal tract and strongly influence the ion exchange, adsorption and catalytic properties. In addition to the positive effects on the productive performance of dairy cows, the supplementation of the ration with zeolites appears to be an effective strategy, complementary, to support the prevention of certain diseases and to improve the health of animals. The supplemented diets with zeolites are well tolerated by the animals; supporting biomass production and improving the health of animals. Therefore, the use volcanic tuff in feeding dairy cows can solve a number of problems in farms, ensuring the profitability of production by applying a complex technology, easily to be integrated into the production chain.
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References14
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