Growth and Reproductive Efficiency of Crossbred Heifers Fed Different Types of Urea Treated Wheat Straw With or Without Additional Sulphur

Twenty five crossbred (Holstein Freslen x Stiliiwal) heifers (16–18 months, 225–336 kg b.wt.) were randomly distributed Into five groups and fed on plain wheat straw (PWS) as T₁, 1.5% urea sprayed PWS (T,), 1.5% urea plus 0.2 percent sodium sulphate iidded to urea solution before spraying PWS (T₃), PWS fermented witli 3.5 percent urea at 40% moisture for 9 days (T₄) and PWS treated as T₄ with additional 0.2 percent spdinm sulphate in urea solution (T₅). In addition, 5kg green and sufficient concentrate was supplied for intended growth rate of 600 g/d. The daily weight gain in the control group (T₁) (454g) was significantly (P<0.05) lower than in fermented straw plus sulphur group T₅ (541g). While gains in urea sprayed and fermented straw groups T₂, T₃ and T₄ (493g, 492g and 510g, respectively) remained similar. The DMI and CPI per kg body weight gain though higher in control group (T₁) was non-signiflcantly variable among other groups. The heifers in control (T₁) and urea sprayed (T₂) groups came into heat at a singificantly (P<0.05) lower age than fermented wheat straw group (T₄). Body weight at first heat of heifers in group T₂ was lower than in group T₅. The age and body weight at first service differed non-significantly (P>0.05) in all the groups. The similar growth, feed and reproductive efficiency in simple urea sprayed group (T₂) V/s fermented wheat straw group (T₄) suggested more practicability of the former due to lesser cost of urea and labour.