Applied Animal Nutrition-I

Urea molasses liquids and blocks as a feed during scarcity

UREA MOLASSES LIQUID AND BLOCK FEED

Other systems of feeding

i. Liquid urea-molasses feeding

• Liquid molasses containing 2 to 3 % uniformly mixed urea and fortified with minerals and vitamins is referred to as liquid feed. The principle of urea - molasses liquid feed preparation lies in the homogenous mixing of urea in liquid molasses.

a. The most practical and least toxic urea-molasses liquid feed contains

• Sugarcane molasses - 92.0
• Urea - 2.5
• Fresh water - 2.5
• Mineral mixture - 2.0
• Common salt - 1.0

The mixture is fortified with vitablend (vitamins A & D)

• Urea is completely dissolved in water and poured gradually into the tank containing molasses with simultaneous mixing using a wooden stirrer.
• Powdered salt and mineral mixture are sprinkled over the molasses while stirring to ensure uniform distribution of all the additives in the liquid molasses.
• Special attention is required for the uniform mixing of urea solution.
• During winter season, the viscosity of molasses increases and hence, heating of the urea-molasses mixture is essential for thorough mixing.
• This undiluted urea-molasses liquid feed containing 65 % and more dry matter can be safely stored for long periods.

3) @ 25g/100kg.66 Procedure for preparing Urea-Molasses Liquid Feed:

b. Another combination of urea-molasses liquid feed

• Molasses - 83 %
• Urea - 2 %
• Phosphoric acid - 2 %
• Salt - 2 %
• Mineral mixture - 1 %
• Bypass protein - 10 %
• (Cotton seed cake or Fish meal)

Precautions to be followed while feeding liquid urea-molasses diets

• It is desired to supplement the liquid molasses diet to certain minimum quantity of roughages to maintain bulk.
• It is advisable to introduce liquid feed gradually in the ration in about 10 to 15 days.
• Fresh drinking water should be made available at all times for the animals on liquid diet.
• It is good to provide mineral mixture or mineral licks free of choice in a separate container.

ii. Uro-mol Brick feeding

•  The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has started manufacturing urea-molasses blocks.

• The production and utilization of urea molasses blocks assumes an increasingly important role in drought prone areas.
• When licked by the ruminant animals, the urea-molasses blocks provide nitrogen to micro-organisms in the rumen and in turn improve digestion of the straw, which is fed during disastrous conditions.
• These blocks are available commercially in packed condition so that they can be transported to the areas of necessity easily.

Composition of urea-molasses mineral block

• Molasses - 45 %
• Urea - 15 %
• Mineral mixture - 15 %
• Salt - 8 %
• Calcite powder - 4 %
• Bentonite / guar gum - 3 %
• Any vegetable oil cake - 10 %

Procedure for preparing Urea-Molasses mineral block

• Binder is added to the cake and the mixture is poured into the block molds and allowed to cool.
•  Apart from cake, bran or some roughage source can also be incorporated to prepare complete feed blocks for feeding of ruminant livestock in drought prone areas.
• At present, de-wormer included medicated blocks are commercially available for feeding to small ruminants.

iii. Uromin lick

This "uromin" lick also called "Pashu Chaat" contains besides urea, molasses and minerals, certain fillers like de-oiled rice bran, maida (sieved flour), mustard cake, common salt and a feed binder (bentonite or guar gum).

• Molasses - 30
• Urea - 10
• Deoiled mustard cake - 10
• Deoiled rice bran - 10
• Common salt - 10
• Mineral mixture - 15
• Maida(sieved flour) - 15
• Bentonite / guar gum - 03

Procedure for preparing uromin lick 

First, molasses and urea are heated together in a round iron utensil for about half an hour.

• By doing so, urea and molasses are converted into uromol, where urea – N bound with sugars of molasses is used efficiently by the rumen system.
• Now, all the other ingredients (premix) are mixed with uromol while it is hot to prevent lump formation.
• The whole mixture is then pressed in the dye of a uromin lick making machine, preferably with the help of a hydraulic jack at a pressure of 10 tons psi.
• A hard uromin lick is ready in 20 – 30 minutes depending upon the atmospheric temperature.
• This brick shaped uromin lick will weigh around 3 kg and can be sealed in a polythene envelope for future use.

Exercise

• 1. Identify the feedstuffs that are available in your area that can be best utilized for feeding livestock during scarcity and disastrous conditions and give their nutritive value?
• 2. Give details of some commercially available urea-molasses blocks for feeding of livestock?

Composition of Uromin Lick

• Molasses, urea, mineral mixture, salt and calcite powder are mixed with thorough stirring and boiling.