A NOTE ON THE UTILIZATION OF HOME PROTEIN MOLASSES FOR THE SUPPLEMENTATION OF GRAZING BULLS

Eighteen crossbred Holstein bulls of approximately 235 kg LW and 16 mo nths of age were used to determine the effect of a 50:50 home protein molasses (HPM) supplementation and molasses with 3% urea (MU) in the d ry season, grazing star grass (Cynodon nlemfluensis) without irrigatio n nor fertilization. A completely randomized design was used. The cont rol group was 0.4 and 3.0 kg/animal/day of sunflower meal and molasses with 3% urea, respectively while in the experimental treatment a mixt ure of HPM and MU ad libitum and 0.24 kg/animal/day of sunflower meal was supplied. Individual LW gain in the experimental treatment was 540 g/day and was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the control. The u tilization of HPM and its combinations with molasses and urea offers g reat perspectives as protein and energy sources and should be more pro foundly studied.