Improve dry fodder by adding urea

When green fodder is unavailable, farm women are forced to feed their cattle poor-quality dry fodder, such as wheat and paddy straw, local grasses, and dry stalks of maize, sorghum pearl millet, and sugarcane tops.

Increasing the cattle's concentrate ration to make up for this shortfall is costly. There is a low-cost alternative. You can improve the quality of dry fodder by treating it with urea, a common fertilizer. Urea treatment is easy.

Materials required (for every 100 kg of dry fodder)

Method of treatment

Dissolve urea, common salt, mineral mixture, and Vitablend thoroughly in water by stirring it with a wooden stirrer.

Method of treatment

Spread the dry fodder evenly under the sun in a 5 m x 10 m area.

Spray half the quantity of urea solution on the dry fodder, using a sprayer or garden watering can.

After about 30 minutes, turn the dry fodder upside down, and apply the remaining quantity of urea solution. The treated fodder can be fed immediately after it dries. If stored in a sealed plastic container, the material will ferment. Fermented fodder is more palatable. Use within 2-3 weeks.

Contributor: Dr. Jagdish Singh