It is economical to use paddy straw as animal feed: Ludhiana vet varsity expert

Animal nutritionist at the Ludhiana varsity, JS Lamba, informed that a farmer can prepare a solution by adding one kg of urea and three kg of molasses in 30 litres of water

An expert from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University said paddy straw can be treated with urea and molasses for its use as a nutritious and economical animal feed.

The expert highlighted that the urea-treated solution enhances paddy straw’s nutrition value by increasing protein content. (HT File)

Animal nutritionist at the varsity, JS Lamba, informed that a farmer can prepare a solution by adding one kg of urea and three kg of molasses in 30 litres of water. “The solution can be sprinkled or sprayed on one quintal paddy straw and mixed with manual tools or in a total mixed ration machine in a way that the whole paddy straw layer gets wet with the urea-molasses solution. It will be ready for feeding the animals after 15 minutes of mixing,” he said.

“By adding 25 gm salt and 50 gm mineral mixture to paddy straw, it can be used for feeding dairy animals 2 kg per day, along with green fodder and concentrate mixture. Dry animals can be fed 4 to 5 kg per day, along with the green fodder,” he added.

He added that the solution enhances the nutritive value of the paddy straw by increasing protein content. The treated straw also becomes soft and more palatable.

“Paddy straw is cheaper than wheat straw, which reduces the cost of feeding. Feeding of the urea-treated paddy straw improves the growth of young animals and also increases the milk production of milch animals. The environment remains clean, as paddy straw will not be burnt in the field,” he said.

He also cautioned farmers to take some precautions. “Never feed the urea-treated paddy straw to calves of less than six months of age. It should also be ensured that the amount of urea in the concentrate ratio is not high,” he said.

“If the treated paddy straw is infected with mold, it should not be used for animal feeding. Horses and pigs should not be given the urea-treated paddy straw. For its long-term use, add mineral mixture in ration as per recommendation,” he added.