UREA-TREATED SUNFLOWER STRAW AND MULBERRY HAY IN THE RATIONS OF CROSSBRED CATTLE

Urea treatment of ground sunflower (Helianthus annuus), straw 4% urea, 50% moisture) increased the protein content by 197.5% and retained 61 .4% of the added urea nitrogen. Digestion and metabolic studies were c onducted on 4 crossbred bulls in a 4 x 4 latin square design by feedin g (1) sunflower straw ad lib. (2) urea treated sunflower straw (UIS) a d. lib (3) UTS chopped mulberry (Morus alba) hay in 3:1 ratio (on DM b asis) ad lib. and (4) UTS and chopped mulberry hay in 1:1 ratio (on DM based) ad lib, apart from 1.5 g concentrates for all 4 groups. Volunt ary feed and water intakes were comparable on all the rations. UTS inc reased (P<0.01) the digestibilities of DM, CP, cell wall contents and balances of nitrogen and calcium. Supplementation of mulberry hay to u rea treated sunflower straw further improved the digestibilities of al l the nutrients. Positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balances we re recorded in all the animals on all the rations. The digestible crud e protein and total digestible nutrient contents increased from ration s 1 to 4. The blood urea nitrogen increased gradually from ration 1 to ration 4 and peaked at 4 hr post feeding on all the rations. These re sults suggested that urea treatment had greatly improved the nutritive value of sunflower straw and supplementation of mulberry hay to urea treated sunflower straw had a complementary effect.