How can straw fed to cattle be optimally treated to both improve palatability and increase nutrition?

    Straw has low nutritional value and poor palatability, so cattle are reluctant to eat it. Through processing and treatment, the original volume and physicochemical properties of the straw are changed, making it easier for cattle to consume, increasing the palatability and nutrition of the straw, enabling cattle to grow faster and improving farming returns.

Feeding straw to cattle

    Combined alkali-acid treatment.Place chopped straw into a wooden barrel or tank, add 1.5-2% sodium hydroxide solution, soak thoroughly, then remove, place into a pit and compact it. After 12-24 hours, remove it, still place it in the wooden barrel or tank, soak thoroughly with 3% hydrochloric acid, then drain off the solution, and it can be fed to cattle. Through this treatment, straw digestibility increases by 20-30%, and utilization rate increases by 60%.

    Ammoniation treatment.After straw undergoes ammoniation treatment, crude fiber digestibility increases by 6.4-11%, protein digestibility increases by 10.6-12.2%, and organic matter digestibility increases by 4.7-8%. At the same time, it can also supplement protein, and its nutritional value approaches or reaches the level of green hay. Production method: place chopped straw into a dry pit and compact it, add 12 L of 25% ammonia water or 6.5 L of urea aqueous solution per 100 kg of straw, fill it up and seal tightly. After 5-7 days, open it, ventilate it, and after the ammonia smell disappears, it can be fed to cattle.

    Enzyme fermentation.Chopped straw fermented with cellulase preparation increases protein by 17.6%, crude fat by 62.8%, and the straw texture becomes soft. After this treatment of straw, cattle intake increases, and gastrointestinal diseases are reduced, while also promoting cattle fattening and regaining condition.

    Combined treatment with sodium hydroxide and lime.Spray chopped straw with a sprayer using a mixed solution of 1.6% sodium hydroxide and 1.5-2% lime, then compact it. Then lay down straw in sequence and spray the mixed solution. After stacking for 1 week, feed it to cattle; crude fiber digestibility increases by 30%.

    Lime treatment.For every 100 kg of chopped straw, use 3 kg of quicklime or hydrated lime, 1-1.5 kg of table salt, add 200-500 L of water, stir evenly, soak for 2-3 hours, then remove, place on the ground and compact, and after 3 hours, it can be fed to cattle. Alternatively, place chopped straw in 1-2% quicklime water and soak for more than 12 hours, then remove, and it can be fed to cattle.