Nutrient Utilisation from Urea Treated Roughage Silages and Berseem Hay Diets by Buffalo Calves

Three different silages were prepared with urea treatment. Silage 1 was prepared with sugarcane and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) kudbi with 1.5% urea treatment. Silage 2 was prepared with Bajra (Penusetum typhyides) kadbi to which 1.33% urea and molasses were added as uronol after boiling uiea and molasses. Sillage 3 was similar to silage 2 but boiling was not done. The three type of silages were fed to 3 groups of buffalo calves together with 1-1.5 kg berseem hay NH3-N in the three silages were not different. DM digestibility was higher in treatment 1 and similar in treatment 2 and 3. The average daily gain, in a 70 day trial showed that animals on treatment 1 registered 450 g which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than treatment 2 (302 g) and treatment 3 (331 g) suggesting that treatment 1 was more economical.