Urea: non-protein nitrogen in ruminant rations
Urea is a manufactured non-protein nitrogen source; rumen microbes turn it into ammonia and then into microbial protein. Farmers use it to raise the crude protein of ruminant rations cheaply, within strict limits.
How much urea can a ration safely include?
Urea supplies nitrogen that the rumen turns into microbial protein. Its crude protein equivalent is about 287 percent of its weight (46 percent nitrogen multiplied by 6.25). The microbes need readily available energy to use it, so keep the amount limited, mix it evenly through the ration and balance it against the energy supply. Too much urea releases ammonia faster than the rumen can use it, and that can poison the animal. Keep young calves whose rumen is not yet working well away from it.
Questions from the farm
Can urea be fed to calves?
Only to calves with a working rumen. Young calves whose rumen is not yet working get their protein from milk or milk replacer, because feeding urea too early can cause ammonia poisoning.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
HerdMobile keeps every feed with its dry matter and crude protein values, so the protein urea adds is counted in the ration total instead of guessed by eye.
