Before feeding urea to cattle, first check the type of forage

When feeding urea to cattle, urea can be digested by microorganisms in the bovine rumen and synthesized into bacterial protein, replacing part of the protein feed, so urea is a high-quality protein supplement feed for cattle. But urea is not protein after all, and its utilization efficiency is affected by many conditions. Generally speaking, feeding urea to cattle should be determined according to the forage situation. In winter and spring, when the diet is mainly based on roughage such as wheat straw, dry corn stalks, and hay, urea can be added, while in summer and autumn, when the diet is mainly based on green forage, it should not be fed.

Trials 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%, and the weight gain effect on cattle is obvious. As the crude protein content in the feed increases, the weight gain effect of cattle supplemented with urea becomes poor. When the crude protein content in the feed reaches 12% or more, adding urea not only fails to promote weight gain, but instead affects weight gain or causes obvious weight loss.

In summer and autumn, there are abundant various wild vegetables, wild grasses, and pasture grasses, and cattle often feed mainly on green forage. Green forage contains comprehensive nutrients, especially a relatively high crude protein content, generally 12% to 20%, and the digestibility and utilization rate of crude protein is also very high, generally reaching more than 70%. At the same time, the crude protein is of good quality, contains a comprehensive range of essential amino acids, and has high nutritional value. Therefore, when feeding mainly on green forage such as wild vegetables, wild grasses, and pasture grasses, there is no need to supplement cattle with urea.