Abstract:

Starlings are the birds of the sturnidae family (songbirds) of the passeriformes (starlings) and Sturnus vulgaris species of sturnus. Since the starlings are the birds that cause significant economic losses in agricultural and especially in livestock enterprises, necessary measures should be taken within the scope of herd management. Starlings are invasive and predatory birds that cause serious damage to all kinds of agricultural activities. In the dairy cattle fed with total mixed ration, starlings consume grain and pellet feeds and rapidly reduces the milk yield by changing the nutrient composition of the ration. It may also serve as a disease vector. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional losses caused by starlings in a total mixed ration in a dairy cattle farm. According to the results of the analysis before and after the infestation of starling, an increase (P<0.05) in the moisture (%), crude fat, ADF, NDF and cellulose values of DM % were observed. After the starlings infestation and plucking, energy (ME, kcal/kg) and starch content were lower (P <0.01). These showed that birds decreased the nutritive value of TMR by consuming the grain component of the TMR.

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