Cattle Production Technologies-Cattle Nutrition

August 10, 2015

Feed is a key to profitable cattle raising. Cattle need food nutrients for maintenance, growth
and production. The animal raiser must formulate feeds based on his animals’ sex, age, weight
gain desired and the moisture content of available roughage and feeds.

The feed ration should be adjusted to the requirements for fattening cattle based on the
availability of feed materials in the locality. Cattle can be fattened on all roughage rations or on
roughage-concentrate ration. Give good quality grass-legume mixture in the form of pasture
herbage. It is best to restrict animal movement at all times, so that it uses less energy and
gains weight quickly.

The moisture content of feed is important. There is maximum dry matter intake if the ration has
only about 34% moisture content. Cattle becomes fatter during summer eating dry grass than
during the rainy season when the animals are allowed to eat large amounts of young, fresh
grass. Cattle will consume feed at a rate of about 2.5 percent of its body weight. The animals
need the following nutrients:

 Dry matter that satisfies the animal ‘s appetite and promotes good digestion;
 Protein in amounts based on age, sex, body w eight and desired productivity;
 Energy from carbohydrates, fats and excess protein;
 Essential minerals like salt, calcium and phosphorus. Salt intake increases the water intake of
the animals. The daily intake should be about 0.045 kg per 45.45 kg
 of body weight.
 Vitamins A, D, and E; and
 Water is a most important nutrient. Its intake by cattle depends on the temperature, humidity,
moisture content of the roughage, dry, or wet feeding, and salt content of feed nutrients.

To estimate the daily feed requirement, young fatteners consume about 3 percent of their body
weight in air-dry feed. A fresh grass has about 75% moisture content. Therefore, a 250 kgs.
feeder cattle will require 7.5 kgs. of grass with a 12-14% moisture. However, given fresh grass
it requires 35 kgs.

Roughage-concentrate ration is the combination of forage or farm by-products and

concentrates. Some common concentrates are rice bran, copra meal, ipil-ipil leafmeal and corn
by-products, including meat and bone meal and salt. The farm by-products could be utilized as
concentrate mixtures and given to cattle at least twice a day.

Workers in King Ranch in Batangas Preparing Feeds

Utilization of Farm By-Products to Cattle Feed

1. Rice Straw
Chopped rice straw can be fed to growing-fattening cattle up to 40% of the total ration. If
baled or stacked and adequately protected from weather, rice straw can be used as additional
source of energy anytime of the year when feed supply is short. It contains 3-4% protein, 0.04-
0.08% phosphorus and 0.20- 0.30% calcium.

2. Corn Cobs
Without kernels. can be coarsely ground and fed to cattle up to 45% of total ration. It contains
45% total digestible nutrients and 3% crude protein. Although containing higher crude fiber, it
is more digestible than rice straw.
Food supplement for cows, goats and carabaos

UREA – MOLASSES Mineral Block (UMMB)

UMMB or Urea-Molasses Mineral Block is a food supplement for cows, carabaos, sheep and
goats. This is a block containing a mixture of urea, molasses or honey, cement, rice bran,
vitamin and mineral such as di-calcium phosphate and salt.

Feeding UMMB is considered as one of the most important way to lessen the loss of essential
and substantial food for animals especially in the warm months of the year.Importance of
UMMB

UMMB gives energy or heat, minerals and protein needed by animals to increase milk
production.

UMMB is rich in:

Mineral
contains elements such as calcium, phosphorous, iodine, zinc, copper and other minerals that
are not naturally found in grass. These minerals are important for growth, reproduction and
milk production.

Protein
UMMB gives up to 50% protein needed by animals for growth. The mineral content of UMMB
also helps in increasing milk production.
 Energy
UMMB gives 45% energy needed by animals to increase production of meat and milk.

Steps in making UMMB:

 Prepare and weigh ingredients according to proper proportions:

 Prepare the mixing pot. Use a cook ware with a wide mouth like a vat. Old tires can be used a
support to the vat.
 Pour honey into the vat. Slowly add urea while slowly stirring the mixture. Make sure there are
no lumps of urea in the mixture.
 Add di-calcium phosphate and salt, stirring should be continuous.
 Add cement and continue stirring.
 Rice bran should be added last. In this case, its better to use hand in mixing or a cement
mixer to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
 Pour the mixture into molds to form the blocks. Each bloke may weigh 1 to 5 kilos each.
 Wrap each block with plastic and arrange in a box. Wait for 1 to 2 weeks before feeding the
block to the animals.

A low-technology and traditional way of making the Urea Molasses Multinutrient Block (UMMB).
Simplicity is the key,this UMMB project can be made with a very simple method.

Method of Feeding:
UMMB is fed through “licking” of the animals. Feeding is not difficult since UMMB tastes good to
the animals. Place and leave the UMMB in the animal feeder until animals get their daily
nutrition needs.

Some Warning when Feeding UMMB:

 Prevent the block from getting wet thereby feeding the animals in excess.
 Don’t give UMMB to animals that are not more than six months and to those animals that are
in their last trimester of pregnancy
 Don’t give UMMB when animals are hungry or when the waterer is empty.
 Call a veterinary when symptoms of poisoning are evident like salivating, difficulty in
breathing, and bloating.

Other Characteristics of UMMB:

 Helps in increasing appetite

 Increases the ability to dissolve grass fibers and other feed eaten by the animals.
 Maintains the energy and health of animals.