The study was taken up to assess the effect of processed straw to concentrate ratio on the densification characteristics of complete feed blocks in a factorial design. Wheat straw or paddy straw (2 to 2.5 cm long) was treated with 4% urea (w/w) keeping the moisture at 50% level stacked for 21 days. An experiment was conducted with untreated or urea treated wheat and paddy straw, and six levels of concentrate mixture, viz. 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. Molasses was added at 15% level of the material and its moisture content was kept between 15 to 17%. The feed blocks were made by pressing the material to a pressure of 350 kg/cm2 for 5 minutes in a block-making machine. The increase in density was higher (P<0.01) in paddy straw (3 times) than wheat straw (2.6 times) based blocks, but, the paddy straw blocks had more (P<0.01) post compression expansion than wheat straw blocks. Urea treatment of the straws decreased (P<0.001) the post compression expansion of the feed blocks from 46.8 to 31%, while their durability and increase in density increased (P<0.01) from 61.1 to 76.9% and 2.6 to 3 times, respectively. The increase in the level of concentrate mixture in feed blocks from 0 to 50% decreased (P<0.01) their post compression expansion and increased density from 49.1 to 43.3% and 2.4 to 3.5 times, respectively and the durability of the blocks increased (P<0.01) from 53.9 to 79%.
Straws, Urea treatment, Feed blocks, Densification characteristics
