Effect of urea-molasses mineral blocks on nutrient utilization in buffaloes

Urea molasses mineral blocks (B₁, B₂, B₃ and B₄) manufactured using cold process were offered ad lib to four adult rumen fistulated Murrah buffalo steers (84 m old of 500±7.9 kg BW) in a 4x4 latin square design. B₁ and B₂ contained 17 percent deoiled rice bran whereas; B₃ and B₄ contained 17 percent wheat bran. Further B₁ and B₃ contained 10 percent mustard cake whereas, B₂ and B₄ contained 10 percent deoiled sunflower cake. Other ingredients were similar in all the four blocks. Wheat straw was offered ad lib to all the animals. DM intake through wheat straw (kg/day) was higher (P<0.05) in treatments B₁ (6.521), B₃ (6.510) and B₄ (6.588) than in B₂ (5.562). The daily DM and water intake, digestibility of nutrients and N-retention were comparable in all the groups. It was concluded that UMMB supplementation ad lib to wheat straw based diets supplied nutrients (over and above) to adequately meet the maintenance requirement of buffaloes.