EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING UREA MOLASSES BLOCKS IN THE RATION OF BUFFALOS ON NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND MILK-PRODUCTION

Lactating buffaloes (25) in their mid lactation yielding 7-8 litres of milk were divided into 5 groups of 5 each and were allotted to 5 trea tments, viz. control, and treatments T-1, T-2, T-3 and T-4. The buffal oes were offered wheat straw (W.S) ad lib. + green berseem + 3-4 kg co ncentrate mixture in control groups, while 20% of the concentrate mixt ure was replaced by urea molasses mineral block (UMB) containing cotto nseed-cake, deoiled mustard-cake, guar-meal and deoiled groundnut-cake as varied degradable protein sources in T-1. T-2, T-3 and T-4 groups respectively. The voluntary DM intake (kg/100 kg BW) was recorded as 2 .97. 2.95, 3.05, 2.88, and 3.04 in the control T-1, T-2, T-3 and T-4 g roups respectively. The curtailment of 20% concentrate mixture in T-1, T-2, T-3 and T-4 groups was well compensated by consuming 670, 653, 6 73 and 633 g of UMB respectively. The digestibility of various nutrien ts was similar in all the treatment groups. Throughout the experimenta l period of 84 days, all the lactating buffaloes maintained their body weights. The quality anti quantity of milk produced remained unaffect ed in all the treatments due to the substitution of concentrate mixtur e with UMB, it is concluded that by supplementing UMB ad lib. along wi th wheat straw as basal roughage to the milch buffaloes yielding 7-8 l itres of milk, in their mid-lactation, 20% of the concentrate mixture can be saved.