UTILIZATION OF UREA AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF RUMEN IN WEANED CALVES
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Date
2005
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
An experiment was conducted with eighteen female cross bred calves below
one week of age for 150 days to assess the optimum age for the utilization of urea
and also the health status of urea fed calves. Calves were divided into three groups
as uniformly as possible and allotted randomly to three treatments Ti^ T2 and T3. Calf
starter as per BIS specification (Diet 1) and calf starter with 2 per cent urea (Diet 2)
formed the experimental diet. Both the diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric.
Calves in the T1 were fed with diet 1 from two weeks to five months. Calves in the
T2 were fed with diet 1 from two to twelve weeks, later on with diet 2 till five
months. Calves in the T3 were fed with diet 1 from two to eight weeks, later on with
diet 2 till five months. Milk was fed till three months of age as per the requirement.
Green grass and paddy straw were fed ad libitum.
Average daily gain and daily dry matter intake, respectively were 305 g and
1.39 kg for the calves in Ti, 299 g and 1.43 kg for the calves in T2, and 321 g and
1.53 kg for the calves in T3_ and the values were not significantly different (P>0.05).
Feed to gain ratio for Ti^ T2, and T3 were 4.61, 4.85 and 4.83, respectively and were
not significantly different among treatments. Blood biochemical parameter such as
blood glucose, AST, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, total protein,
albumin, globulin, A:G ratio did not show any significant difference. Urinary
parameters such as urea and creatinine also did not show any significant difference
but there was a trend for increased urea excretion in those calves fed urea. Rumen
liquor parameter such as pH, MBRT, protozoal activity, TVFA, rumen NH3-N also
did not statistically differ (P>0.05). The digestibility coefficient of nutrients
observed were 62.26, 59.15, and 60.00 for dry matter, 64.92, 64.89 and 64.91 for
crude protein, 70.83, 72.40 and 70.13 for ether extract, 61.39, 58.32 and 62.50 for
neutral detergent fibre, 49.81, 47.92 and 51.52 for acid detergent fibre for Ti T2 and
T3, respectively. There was no significant difference between the treatments. Cost per
kilogram body weight gain was Rs. 73.45, 73.13 and 70.67, respectively for Ti^ T2,
and T3. It could be inferred from the study that urea could be utilized by calves from
nine weeks of age without any deleterious effect.
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