Urea is a nitrogen-based outcome produced in the kidneys. It is formed as a side compound during the process of producing the protein. While urea is not a protein, it contains nitrogen and be capable of be used by microbial population in the rumen to produce protein. In fact, urea and ammonia are well known as non-protein nitrogen (NPN). On the other hand, molasses is the main by-product of the sugarcane production and is a suitable source of energy. Wholly, preparing an adequate source of energy and N under grazing condition is necessary for grazing animals. Molasses blocks are palatable for the animals, which gives them the ability to cover undesirable flavors that can be associated with some other chemical added to the block. This give block a privilege to contain high levels of undesirable feedstuffs like urea. On the other hands, urea is really a cheap source of nitrogen in compares to others sources and adding urea to the molasses blocks will reduce the cost of supplementation programs. In tropical countries, inadequate nutrition and the gastro-intestinal nematode are amongst the commonest problems, particularly in sheep and goats. Molasses, urea and other components are used for producing molasses/urea feeds (blocks, pastes or licks). These preparations are a suitable way of preparing degradable protein and fermentable energy to ruminant animals, and they help increase the protein supply to the ruminant animals. Furthermore, medicated feed-supplement blocks have been used in an effort to deliver anthelmintic medication but with varying success. Kioumarsi and others have examined the effects of introduce molasses/mineral feed blocks beside the use of medicated blocks on growth, efficiency, carcass traits, blood metabolites and control of gastro-intestinal nematode infection in grazing goats and with regards to the observed results the use of urea molasses mineral blocks and medicated urea molasses mineral blocks is recommended.
Rreferences
Kioumarsi, H., Yahaya, Z.S., Rahman, W.A., 2008. Introduce molasses/mineral feed blocks beside the use of medicated blocks on growth, carcass characteristics, blood metabolites, and control of gastro-intestinal nematode infection in grazing goats. Presented during the 1st Annual PPSK/IPS postgraduate Colloqium. Pinang, Malaysia. pp: 51-52. (Oral presentation)
Kioumarsi, H., Yahya, Z.S., Rahman, W.A., Chandraw, P., 2010. A New Strategy that Can Improve Commercial Productivity of Raising Boer Goats in Malaysia. . Asian J. Anim. Vet. Adv. 6: 476-481.
Kioumarsi, H., Yahaya, Z.S., Rahman, W.A., 2011. The Effect of Molasses/Mineral Feed Blocks along with the Use of Medicated Blocks on Haematological and Biochemical Blood Parameters in Boer Goats. Asian J. Anim. Vet. Adv. 6: 1264-1270.