Experience sharing on feeding urea to cattle in winter and spring

In winter and spring, when green feed is scarce, some raisers add urea to cattle feed to improve the feeding effect, and this is acceptable. To help everyone understand the mechanism of urea feeding to cattle and the specific feeding methods, and to better bring urea into play in cattle production, the relevant questions are answered as follows:

Why can urea be used to feed cattle

According to the digestive characteristics of ruminants, after the rumen function of cattle has developed fully (at 3-4 months of age, ciliates begin to appear in the rumen), the microorganisms in the cattle rumen can use the nitrogen source provided by non-protein nitrogen compounds in the feed to synthesize protein. Urea is a non-protein nitrogen compound and a chemical product that can be produced in large quantities at very low cost. Urea has a very high nitrogen content, generally around 46%; after being digested by microorganisms in the cattle rumen and synthesized into microbial protein, urea can replace part of the protein feed.

What are the conditions for using urea to feed cattle

After all, urea is not protein, and its utilization efficiency is affected by many conditions, so it must not be used blindly in production. The conditions for using urea to feed cattle are:

1. When feeding urea, the feed must contain a certain amount of carbohydrates to supply the energy needed by the bacteria in the rumen for growth and reproduction. Carbohydrates are an indispensable energy source when rumen microorganisms use nitrogen to synthesize protein, so the type and amount of carbohydrates can directly affect the utilization efficiency of urea. Therefore, when feeding urea to cattle, in addition to giving a certain amount of roughage (such as corn stalks), a certain amount of feed high in carbohydrates (such as corn) should also be provided.

2. When feeding urea to cattle, the feed must also contain a certain amount of protein, because during the growth and reproduction of rumen microorganisms, if the feed completely lacks protein, the utilization of urea will be affected, but when the amount of protein supplied is too much, the effect is also poor.

3. When using urea to feed cattle, the protein level contained in the feed must not be too high. It is generally considered that the protein content in the daily ration should be 9%-12%. If more protein feed is included and the crude protein content is higher, the speed at which urea is synthesized into protein decreases. Tests have shown that when the crude protein content in the feed is below 11%, the utilization rate of urea in the rumen is about 70%; the effect on increasing cattle weight gain is also quite obvious (increased by 39%); as the crude protein content in the feed increases, the effect of adding urea on increasing weight gain decreases; when the crude protein content in the feed reaches 12% or more, adding urea no longer has the effect of increasing weight gain, and instead begins to affect weight gain or cause obvious weight loss. Therefore, when using urea as a protein supplement for cattle, the protein content of the feed supplied must also be considered, otherwise the effect will be poor.

In summary, the conditions for using urea to feed cattle: First, forage. Cattle should be fed mainly low-quality rough straw feed with low crude protein content (dry corn stalks, wheat straw) or green feed (green corn stalks, etc.). Concentrate feed should be feed with relatively high carbohydrate content but not too high crude protein content, such as corn and wheat bran. Urea can be added to increase weight gain. Second, in summer and autumn, when feeding wild green grass or concentrate feed with relatively high crude protein, urea should not be added. Otherwise, weight gain will be reduced.

How to use urea to feed cattle

1. Forage: Use rough forage such as wheat straw, dry corn stalks or green corn stalks, and dried mountain grass, with concentrate feed such as corn and wheat bran, and a crude protein content below 12%.

2. Urea feeding amount: Give 20-30 grams of urea per 100 kg of body weight per cow per day.

3. Feeding method: Calculate the amount of urea at 20-30 grams per 100 kg of body weight, dissolve it in water, and mix it thoroughly and evenly with crushed corn or chopped roughage. Urea can also be added to silage for feeding, and the daily amount should be fed in multiple portions.

What should be noted when using urea to feed cattle

1. Urea can only be used for adult cattle, because the rumen of suckling calves has not yet developed completely and the microbial flora is not yet normal, so it is not suitable to feed urea.

2. Urea should be mixed evenly with dry feed and then mixed into chopped grass for feeding. It must never be dissolved in water and given as drinking water; the amount should preferably be fed in multiple portions, and feeding it all at once must be strictly avoided.

3. The amount of urea fed must not be too large, otherwise it will cause poisoning.

4. After feeding urea, cattle must not drink water immediately. At least half an hour must pass before they can drink water.