A NOTE ON THE COMPARISON OF BARLEY-UREA, MAIZE GLUTEN AND RAPESEED MEAL AS SUPPLEMENTS TO AD-LIBITUM WINTER-WHEAT STRAW FOR SPRING-CALVING SUCKLER COWS

The effects on animal performance of barley-urea (BU), maize gluten (M G) and rapeseed meal (RSM) offered with ad libitum winter wheat straw, were examined with 138 pregnant Hereford male X Friesian female cows over two winters (1987/88 and 1988/89). In each year, seven young cows and 16 old cows per treatment were offered respectively 3.0 or 1.5 kg fresh weight per head per day, of BU, MG or RSM for 167 days. There w ere no treatment effects on live weight, condition score or calf birth weight. In terms of animal performance BU, MG and RSM were equally ef fective.