The Rural Voice, 1988-07, Page 52ADVICE
FAT AND UREA IN
DAIRY RATIONS
Question: Does it make sense to add
urea to dairy cattle rations that contain
additional dietary fat?
According to Bill Woodley, a dairy
feeding specialist for Shur -Gain, the use
of additional fat in a lactating cow's
rations helps her adapt to the "energy
crisis" in early lactation.
But urea, he says, is an unlikely
choice of nitrogen to feed to cattle at this
stage of lactation. Urea is extremely
soluble and is degraded rapidly in the
rumen. High -producing cows in early
lactation need increased levels of by-
pass protein, and in most cases meet or
exceed their soluble protein require-
ments.
Woodley recommends Shur -Gain
Ener-Lact-20 as an ideal combination of
by-pass protein, by-pass methionine,
and by-pass fat.
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Companies using a combination of
fat and urea to supplement lactating
rations, Woodley says, claim that the
presence of urea has a positive impact on
rumen function in high-energy rations.
This argument, he says, has nutritional
merit when a rapidly degradable carbo-
hydrate is fed but not when the energy
source is fat.
Urea is broken down rapidly in the
rumen by the rumen microbes, which
need a quick energy source such as a
rapidly degradable carbohydrate to
enhance microbial protein production.
Fat is not used by the nunen microbe
population as an energy source, says
Woodley. It is used by the cow through
intestinal absorption. This means, he
adds, that there is an even greater need to
increase by-pass protein levels to cows
fed fat. The dietary fat and the by-pass
protein will be used by the cow rather
than the rumen microbe population for
energy and protein requirements.0
Forward grain contracting
Receiving:
WHEAT (White & Red)
R.R. 3, BRUSSELS
519-356-2292
JUNC. HLRON RD. 16 & PERTH RD. 6
JULY 1988 51