Urea-molasses and cottonseed-molasses supplements for dairy goats

Sarwiyono,; Mcllroy, B. K. M. H.; Dixon, R. M.; Holmes, J. H. G.

doi:1992.5.4.653

Article

Ruminant Nutrition and Forage Utilization

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 1992;5(4): 653-658.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.1992.653 Published online December 1, 1992.

Urea-molasses and cottonseed-molasses supplements for dairy goats

Sarwiyono, B. K. M. H. Mcllroy, R. M. Dixon, J. H. G. Holmes

Abstract

Crossbred dairy does were fed a roughage diet (IVOMD 56%, N 2.27%) ad libitum, and supplemented with urea-molasses (3% W : W) (UM) at levels on an air dry basis of 1.5% or 3% of liveweight or an iso-energetic, iso-nitrogenous mixture of cottonseed meal and molasses (25 : 75 w : w) (CM). Eight does, four lower-producers and four higher-producers (1.9 and 2.5 kg/day respectively in week 7 of lactation) arranged in two Latin Squares, received each of the four diets for three weeks. Dry matter, digestible organic matter and N intakes were higher for high-producers and high levels of supplement but did not differ between nitrogen sources. Milk production was higher by high-producers; interactions were significant between level of supplement and production group and between level of supplement and N-source, with maximum production by high producers on high levels of CM. The main effects of level of supplement were only significant for production or composition. We conclude that does of moderate capacity for milk production, receiving a diet of two-thirds moderate quality roughage, one third urea-molasses, will not respond to increased level of supplementation or to replacement of urea with cottonseed meal.

Keywords: Goats; Milk; Urea; Cottonseed