COMPOSITION OF RICE STRAW ENSILED WITH UREA AND MOLASSES AT VARYING LEVELS

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Feeding rice straw only does not provide enough nutrients for ruminants to maintain high production levels due to the low nutritive value of this highly lignified materia also these high level of lignification and low nitrogen content are the main deficiencies of rice straw, affecting its value as feed for ruminants. Urea is fed as a replacement for a part of the protein in a ration. Urea is frequently included in ruminant diet to partially replace protein ingredients. Molasses help in facilitating the natural preservation by lowering the PH and producing lactic acid bacteria also molasses is added in Ruminant diet as a source of energy. The objective of this researchwas to assess change in nutritional composition of rice straw ensiled with urea and molasses at varying levels. Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was used in this experiment ,with four treatments and three replications each. The treatments were A (1kg of Rice Straw + 20g molasses + 40g Urea), B (1kg of Rice Straw + 40g molasses + 40g Urea), C (1kg of Rice Straw + 60g molasses + 40g Urea) and D (1kg of Rice Straw + 80g molasses + 40g Urea).Sample were thoroughly mixed and ensiled for a period of five weeks. At the fifth week the samples were opened and taken to the laboratory for proximate and minerals analyses. Crude protein content had a significantly (P<0.05) higher value in treatment C (32.56%) which had 60g molasses, followed by treatment B (27.57%) with 40g molasses, then treatment D (24.95%) with 80g molasses and the least value was obtained in treatment A (23.64%) which had 20g molasses. The Crude Fiber CF was higher in the treatment D (19.01%) with 80g molasses, followed by treatment A (16.51%) with 20g molasses, then treatment B (1 5.01) with 40g molasses and the least value was obtained in treatment C (12.01%) which had 40g molasses. The calcium content recorded significantly (p<0.05) higher value in treatment C(2.36%) which had 60g molasses, followed by D (2.12%) with 80g molasses, then treatment A (1.76%) with 20g molasses, and the least value was in recorded in B (1.23%) with 40g molasses while phosphorous content had significantly (p<0.05) higher value in treatment A (12.85%) with 20g molasses, followed by C (12.45%) with 60g molasses, then B (12.25%) with 40g molasses, the least value was obtained in treatment D (11.95%) which had 80g molasses. Conclusively this study indicated that Rice Straw ensiled with varying levels of molasses and Urea was improved nutritionally.