EVALUATION OF UREA TREATED MAIZE STRAW AS A FEEDING STRATEGY FOR DAIRY COWS IN SMALL-SCALE DAIRY SYSTEMS

Abstract

Objective: An experiment was carried out to evaluate the productive response of dairy cows to rations with maize straw treated and untreated with urea. Design/methodology/approach: Nine cows were randomly selected from each unit and were assigned in a 3x3 Latin square design, repeated three times. The evaluated treatments were: T1= ad libitum maize straw, treated with 40 g urea/kg DM, in urea solution at 10% and 28 days for reaction under plastic + 1 kg maize/cow/day; T2= ad libitum maize straw, untreated, sprayed with a urea solution to add 26 g urea/kg DM at feeding + 1 kg maize/cow/day; and, T3= ad libitum untreated maize straw + 760 g soybean meal as a source of crude protein (CP).

Results: Crude protein content of maize straw, increased 96% when straw was treated with urea; moreover, the amount of structural carbohydrates decreased. No significant differences were observed for milk yield, live weight and body condition score (P<0.05).

Limitations on study/implications: To see if the diet had the sufficient amount of protein is required analysis of milk urea nitrogen.

Findings/conclusions: The addition of urea maize straw increases the nutritive quality of the straw, however, it did not improve the productive parameters of the cows