Feeding urea through surface licking in the growing buffalo (Bos bubalis) calves

A new device, called portable feeder with revolving surface, for the gradual intake of urea-molasses mixture, was compared with urea-molasses-mineral block (uromin-lick) and urea containing concentrate mixture in Murrah buffalo calves. The different groups of calves were offered urea (1.5%)-containing concentrate mixture @ 2.5 kg/head/day along with 2.5 kg wheat straw (T-1), whereas in T-2 and T-3 only 1.0 kg concentrate mixture and 3.5 kg wheat straw were offered besides ad libitum urea-molasses-liquid supplement (UMLS) and urea-molasses-mineral block (uromin-lick), respectively. Body weight gains over a period of 182 days were 516, 407 and 297g/head/day in the three groups respectively. Only DCP digestibility was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in. T-1 as compared to that in T-3. The results revealed that uromin lick can serve as a scarcity/famine ration when offered along with low grade roughages; while UMLS together with some concentrate mixture and low grade roughage can support a growth rate of about 400 g/d in buffalo calves.