Effect of feeding urea-molasses impregnated paddy straw on nutrient utilization, milk yield and economics of feeding in crossbred cows.

A study was carried out in 18 cross Jersey milch cows of same parity for full lactation period (210 days) at Mountain Livestock Research Institute, SKUAST-K, Manasbal, Safapora, Jammu and Kashmir. The animals were divided into three equal groups viz., T1 (oat hay + concentrate), T2 (paddy straw + concentrate) and T3 (urea and molasses treated paddy straw+ concentrate). The average DM intake from roughage sources (kg/head) was significantly lower (P<0.05) in T2 (3.4±0.12 kg/head) than control group (5.3± 0.19 kg/head) but T3 group (5.0±0.11 kg) had no significant difference with control. With regard to total DM intake, no statistical difference was observed between control (T1) and T3 group, however, in T2 group, total DM intake was significantly lower (P<0.05) than control. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF and ADF were significantly lower (P<0.05) in T2 group than T1 group, but the values were similar in T3 group and T1 group. Milk yield, protein and milk density were also found to be lower (P<0.05) in T2 group than T1 group, but T3 group had no significant difference with T1 group. SNF percentage was lower (P<0.05) in T2 and T 3 group than T1, however, milk fat and lactose percentage did not vary among different groups. There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in the cost of production per liter of milk in T2 and T3 group as compared to control. Therefore, feeding urea-molasses treated straw supplemented with concentrate mixture could replace the conventional hay based diet in rations of milking cows.