ANN 121: Applied Animal Nutrition-I (2+1)

UREA MIXED IN CONCENTRATES AND LIQUID SUPPLEMENTS 

• In view of the acute shortage of starchy food (cereal grains) and oil cakes, it may be desirable that urea may be used in the concentrate mixture.
• It may be used upto 1% of concentrate mixture in ruminants only.
• It is a  NPN substance which can be better utilised by rumen microbes. But easily available carbohydrate (starch) source must be incorporated in ruminant ration for efficient microbial protein synthesis.
• Molasses can be used as starch source upto 8 -10 % in concentrate mixture.

Urea mixed in concentrate feeds

•  Most of the urea fed to growing and lactating dairy cattle is incorporated into the concentrate portion of the ration.

• Generally speaking, urea is not used in amounts higher than 3% of the total concentrate fed or 1% of the total dry matter in the ration to avoid urea toxicity.
• The maximum safe limit is 136g of urea per animal over 260kg body weight.

Urea mixed in liquid supplements

• It is a homogenous mixture in the liquid molasses along with vitamins and minerals.
• Normally it is prepared by completely dissolving 2.5 parts of urea in equal amount of water.
• The mixture is fortified with Vitablend AD3 at the rate of 25 g per 100 kg of liquid feed.
• Common salt at the rate of 1 part and mineral mixture at the rate of 2 parts are sprinkled over 92 parts of sugarcane molasses (2.5 parts of urea, 2.5 parts of water 1 part of salt + 2 parts of mineral mixture + 92 parts of molasses).

Uromol

• Solution of urea (Uromol), containing molasses as the energy source and carrying a variable amount of mineral and vitamin supplementation are also in use.
• Like the blocks they contain 5-6% urea and about 25% sugar and are supplied in special feeders in which the animal licks a ball floating in the solution the animal thus has no direct access to the solution. Where urea is included in the concentrate diet thorough mixing is essential to prevent localised concentrations which may have toxic effects.