Main role of urea in ruminants.
Urea is a non-protein nitrogen source useful for the growth of ruminal bacteria.
Urea can be used to correct the roughages poor in nitrogen (straw, poor grass silage, but also corn silage with high starch level and poor soluble nitrogen).
Urea contributes to improve the feed efficiency of animals, in the case of balanced diets.
Recommendation of urea
Recommendation for dairy cows: 25g/100 kg of BW
Recommendation for beef cattle: 30g/100 kg of BW
No urea in goat and sheep productions.
Intended uses.
Instructions for use : Ruminants with a functional rumen.
An excess of ammonia (= exceeding the capacity of the bacteria to use it) results in a strong diffusion towards the portal vein and the liver. This ammonia will be transformed in urea by the urea cycle.
WARNING: we must take into consideration the needs of animals, to avoid the excess of urea in milk, in environment and to limit the risk of ruminal alkalosis.
