EFFECT OF UREA-MOLASSES BLOCK SUPPLEMENTATION ON NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND INTAKE OF AMMONIATED MAIZE STOVERS IN COW -CAL VES

M. Usman Faizi, M.M. Siddiqui and G. Habib

Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

    An experiment was conducted in a 4x4 Latin square design with four cow-calves {Holstein Friesian, aged' 6-8 months) to investigate the effect of supplementing molasses-urea block {MUB) to untreated or ammoniated maize stovers on feed intake and in viva digestibility of nutrients. Each period consisted of 10 days adaptation, followed by five days data collection. The four diets were untreated maize stovers {Diet A), untreated maize stovers with MUB {Diet B), ammoniated maize stovers {Diet 'C) and ammoniated maize stovers with MUB {Diet D). Daily consumption of maize stovers and total feed by the calves were higher {P< 0.01) on the diets containing ammoniated maize stovers than those containing untreated maize stovers. Ammoniation increased the intake  of maize stovers by 61 %. Supplementary feeding of MUB did not change the daily intake of both untreated and ammoniated maize stovers. Calves receiving untreated maize stovers consumed more MUB {P< 0.01) than those given ammoniated maize stovers {496.40 vs 180.20g DM/d). Daily water consumption was affected {P< 0.01) by diets and was lowest on Diet A. Calves receiving ammoniated maize stovers consumed more water than those given untreated maize stovers. MUB increased {P<0.01) the water consumption only on untreated maize stovers. Mean water consumption was 13.93, 15.91, 15.07 and 15.60 lit/d on diet A, B, C and D, respectively. In vivo digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and crude protein were Influenced {P<0.01) by diet composition. I Among the four diets, dry matter digestibility was minimum (P< 0.01) on Diet A and remained the same on diets B, C and D {55.82, 58.02 and 58.14%, respectively). Organic matter and crude protein digestibility were higher in the claves receiving ammoniated maize stovers. Supplementation of MUB increased (P< 0.01) the digestibility of all the three nutrients in untreated maize stovers but did not affect the digestibility of ammoniated maize stovers. The results demonstrated that MUB supplementation might not be required when calves are fed ammoniated maize stovers.