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Urea as a protein source

  • 04-12-2012 11:36am
    #1
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,753 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Is anybody on here feeding urea to cattle as a protein source?

    How much can you feed/head/day?

    How do you actually feed it?

    All I know is Urea is equivalent to 2.5 times it's weight in Crude protein, and that fat coated urea is available. Also all the urea sold in EU as fertiliser is supposed to be feed grade urea.

    Apologies to whoever brought it up in another thread, didn't mean to hijack it.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



Comments

  • #2
    freedominacup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    blue5000 wrote: »
    Is anybody on here feeding urea to cattle as a protein source?

    How much can you feed/head/day?

    How do you actually feed it?

    All I know is Urea is equivalent to 2.5 times it's weight in Crude protein, and that fat coated urea is available. Also all the urea sold in EU as fertiliser is supposed to be feed grade urea.

    Apologies to whoever brought it up in another thread, didn't mean to hijack it.

    Haven't fed it for years but that was to cows. I think we fed it at 50g/hd/day in a TMR. I don't know how you would feed it safely without a diet feeder. I don't think it would work in a blend.

    I think the diet would need to be energy rich with low protein products like fodder beet or maize to get the benefits. The protein quality would be fairly poor. I think it works by the N combining with excess carbohydrate in the diet to make protein. I know excess protein can be broken down energy if the energy in the diet is low I think it's a kind of reverse of this process. I probably have it backwards, I'm sure Bob or Pudsey will set you straight if they spot the thread.


  • #3
    slippy wicket
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 693 ✭✭✭slippy wicket


    freedominacup wrote: »

    Haven't fed it for years but that was to cows. I think we fed it at 50g/hd/day in a TMR. I don't know how you would feed it safely without a diet feeder. I don't think it would work in a blend.

    That's the only safe way to do it afaik, used it in the feeder for a few years. Very hard on surfaces.
    Bar you could get it mixed into a home mixed ration by the lads that go around doing that , no other safe way for beast.
    Have to watch for animals getting stomach ulcers as well from what I remember.


  • #4
    Farmer Pudsey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    The issue with feeding urea to cattle as a protein source is that it is highly toxic due in part to the fact that you have only to feed very small quanties. It is also not a very good source of protein which is overcome by the fact that it is possible to raise or reduce the quanties that are fed adjusting the quanties by small amounts. It is very cost effecient protein source.

    Due to small quanties needed if an animal gorges themselves in an Ad-lib system then you have issues where as with other feed sources all that may happen is that the animal will get sick urea will kill the animal.


  • #5
    freedominacup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    slippy wicket wrote: »
    That's the only safe way to do it afaik, used it in the feeder for a few years. Very hard on surfaces.
    Bar you could get it mixed into a home mixed ration by the lads that go around doing that , no other safe way for beast.
    Have to watch for animals getting stomach ulcers as well from what I remember.

    I don't know whether it was the same year but we lost a very good 2nd calver around that time with a perforated ulcer low in the intestine. She came in bleeding from behind, vet said bleed was to low down to stop so straight to factory. 2000gals as a heifer and just after having twin heifers. Probably the first home bred heifer we had to break 2000 gals as a heifer, gone in 60 seconds:(. She left a good legacy though.


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