Based on the analysis of the leading global research and development, the following article traces a step by step shaping of the scientific norms and bases of the livestock nutrition over the course of the last 200 years. Among the proposed methods are: evaluation of the nutrition value in comparable units, which had existed since 1809 over a course of fifty years, and has been known as the «Thaer’s hay equivalents»; the evaluation based on the gross value of the nutritious elements (Justus von Liebig); the evaluation based not only on the values of the raw nutrition input, but also based on the nutritious value of the digested feed (Е. Volf); the evaluation based on Kelner’s starch equivalents; evaluation based on Armsbi terms (whereas
1 term = 1000 kkal of pure energy diverted directly to the product); and finally, the general Scandinavian evaluation of the feed, in which one feed unit is expressed as 1 kg of barley (0,7 of the starch equivalent).

Regarding the national experience in the development of the foundation of standardized livestock nutrition, in the former USSR, and by proxy in Ukraine, in 1922-23 yrs. the oat nutrition unit was developed, based on the productive action of one kilogram of oat (whereas 0,6 of oat equivalent would equal one kilogram of oat) for domestic animals of all kinds. The first practical textbook about livestock nutrition based on the oat nutrition units was «Food norms and food tables», developed by I.S. Popov in 1933. This textbook included four parameters: nutrition units, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. In 1958, an updated version of the textbook was published by M.F. Тоmme, and in this new edition, the protein nutrition was replaced by the digestible protein, calcium, phosphorus, and carotene.

In 1985, a group of USSR scientist have developed the reference guide «Standards and ration feeding of farm animals” edited by A.P. Kalashnikov. The main feature of this reference guide was that it had predicted balancing of the rations based on 20–30 factors, and the animal’s nutrition needs is developed as the summary of the needs to sustain the animal, needs to get a proper level of production, and the needs for reproduction function. These standards, at the time, demonstrated a major step up in the scientific foundation of the system of normalized feeding of domestic animals.

This article also discusses the issues pertaining to the livestock nutrition. For example, as of right now, the feeding of livestock in Ukraine is based on the norms that were developed 30 years ago, although since those norms had been developed, there have been a lot of progress made, pertaining to the subject, including a accumulation of experimental data related to the influence of different nutrition factors onto the animal’s digestion and productivity. With that said, the in-depth research in this field is limited and fragmented, and thus does not fully covers the changes that have been taking place in the gene pool structure of the livestock, the nutrition base, and agroecology. That is why under highly sophisticated technology of production and processing of livestock products it is crucial to re-evaluate current standards based on the analysis of energy, protein, amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate, mineral, and vitamin nutrition of the livestock. This is especially important in regards to the high performing animals, focusing on feed standards, methodology of the feed certification, biological accessibility of nutrients and minerals from various types of feed and nutrient supplements, bio-ecological safety, digestion issues, and alimentary diseases.

The article emphasizes that without an adequate supply of full-valued forage to the livestock, achievement of productivity increase up to the genetically inherited potential is out of the question, especially in the bird and pork production. The current state of production in Ukraine is way below it’s potential – instead of the potential 20 million, only 7.5 million tons of compound feed is being produced. It is caused by the general decease of the number of livestock, as well as a wide range of other factors. For example, the state and structure of the crop production are below Ukraine’s capability, and thus the task of rebuilding and intensifying the production of compound feed, feeing supplements, and premixes, just like the entire crop production in general, is steadily leaning towards the need for export oriented farming.

It is very much unreasonable to import supplements and premixes into Ukraine, because every single administrative territory within Ukraine has the resources to build an either government or privately-owned plant for the production of the necessary premixes, with each plant having a various output between 1–3 % of the gross output of compound feed. Same relates to the protein, vitamin, and mineral supplements – local production of which could be launched in every state within Ukraine, with an output potential of 20–25 % of the gross compound feed production. There is a solid supply base to make this happen.

Key words: animal nutrition standards, feeds, nutrition, mixed folder.