An Italian Experiment on Feeding Animals with Cannabidiol-Rich Food
The experiments carried out, as well as the results of work with industrial herds in our country, indicate that the green mass of hemp with a high cannabidiol content used as animal feed can be effectively used both in terms of increasing the growth rates of lean muscle mass and in terms of meat. or milk.
On the pages of the specialized electronic edition of national cannabis growers, with a certain frequency, we focus on the experiments carried out in economically developed countries of the world on feeding domestic animals with various components of the hemp plant, as well as the results of analyzes of meat, milk, and other useful products that are obtained as a result of them. life activity. The editors have already described positive examples of feeding dairy herds of cows with hemp compound feed in Holland , Liechtenstein and Switzerland, therefore, an Italian experiment on feeding goats with feed rich in leaves and inflorescences of plants with a high content of cannabidiol, as well as the obtained quantitative and qualitative results of the analyzes, should be of interest to national companies engaged in animal husbandry and considering hemp compound feed as one of the components that can increase the competitive advantages of their products on the market.
Cannabis as feed for dairy animals
It should immediately be noted that one of the main goals of the Italian project for feeding domestic animals with compound feed rich in therapeutically active plant components of hemp was the ability to improve milk production in quantitative and qualitative terms, as well as to solve the logistical problems of small and isolated farms specializing in growing dairy herd. The study was conducted over four months from April to July 2021.
This kind of experiment was based on long-term observations, during which it is noted that animals in the "industrial herd" are traditionally subjected to various types of tests. This is, among other things, due to the lack of quality food, water, lack of effective veterinary care, poor sanitary conditions, constant stresses that animals face due to their significant number, etc. In connection with the above, the specialists of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry of the University of Naples decided to conduct experiments aimed at studying the effect of hemp compound feed on the quantity and quality of milk that an experimental dairy herd can produce.
Scientists initially focused on the possibility of feeding animals with feeds that contain significant amounts of cannabidiol, which could help goats to better cope with stress, which leads to a decrease in the productivity of dairy animals, i.e. Finding ways to reduce stress in animals was one of the main goals of the experiment. The effect of the therapeutically active elements of the hemp plant on various indicators of the animals in the test group was studied. In particular, the dependence of the effect of flavonoids on the antioxidant effect of fats with better preservation of milk and its derivatives, as well as meat, was investigated. In addition, the effect of terpenes (create a qualitatively better milk, which has an antibacterial effect) on animals of the control herd was investigated.
Quantitative and qualitative indicators of the milk of the test herd
In the first sample, the goats of the test herd produced less milk, which is probably due to the need to adapt to the new diet, but after the second selection, the animals gave 300 ml more milk per day than in the control group. It is noted that lauric fatty acid is present in larger quantities in the study group than in the control group - it is associated with a decrease in the risk of diabetes and insulin resistance, as well as protection against obesity, because it stimulates certain metabolic processes in the animal's body.
Among other things, analyzes were carried out for conjugated linoleic acid, which has an extremely positive effect on the body, since it is associated with a decrease in the risk of atherosclerosis, obesity and cancer cell proliferation. This fatty acid was found in much higher amounts in goats from the group fed with hemp green mass.
Based on the results of the experiments, it was decided to continue studying the effect of hemp compound feed on animals, in particular, in 2022, Italian scientists will study the effect of hemp compound feed on the vital activity of cows, buffaloes and horses.
Commentary of the specialists of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"
The experiments carried out, as well as the results of work with industrial herds in our country, indicate that the green mass of hemp with a high cannabidiol content used as animal feed can be effectively used both in terms of increasing the growth rates of lean muscle mass and in terms of meat. or milk. As part of the next training course for students of the Hemp University , a round table “ Exponential growth of the market for unconventional therapeutically active elements of hemp ” will be held , within which the dynamics of the increase in dry muscle mass of animals participating in the experiments initiated by the Association, as well as giving milk and meat of animals involved in them therapeutic properties.