Department of Feed & Fodder Technology, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030, India
Online published on 5 January, 2012.
Unchaffed paddy straw, treated with urea (4 per cent urea, 50 per cent moisture) was stored, as stack of one tonne in open air or ensiled in pit lined with 100 microns thick black polythene film for 4 wks. It was observed that urea treated paddy straw turned to brown on stacking and dark brown on ensiling. Similarly, ensiled material was more pliable and less coarse than the stacked one. Urea treatment increased the CP content by 100.9 and 159.2 per cent by stacking and ensiling, respectively. Urea N retained by paddy straw was 29.9 per cent on stacking and 46.7 per cent on ensiling.
At the end of the storage period, 9 crossbred bulls, distributed in 3 groups in a completely randomized design were fed on untreated paddy straw (I), urea treated and stacked paddy straw (II) and urea treated and ensiled paddy straw (III) as sole feed without any supplement. Ensiling of urea treated paddy straw significantly (P < 0.01) increased the digestibilities of DM, OM, CP and CF over those observed on stacking. Positive N balances were observed on urea treated paddy straw stored in either way but C’a and P balances were marginally negative. Blood urea-N (BUN) values were higher (P < 0.01) on ensiled paddy straw compared to those on stacked one. In ensiled paddy straw, DCP and TDN values were higher (P < 0.01) than those observed on stacked paddy straw. Ensiled paddy straw met the DCP and TDN requirements of animals for maintenance whereas those on stacked paddy straw met only the TDN requirements. The results suggested that the nutritive value of urea treated paddy straw was higher when it was ensiled than when it was stacked.
