J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1971. 33:677-681.
© 1971 American Society of Animal Science
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Effects of Feeding Urea on Physiological, Pathological and Carcass Traits of Dairy Steers1

L. D. Muller2, V. F. Colenbrander, T. G. Martin, H. A. Garverick and W. W. Carlton3

Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47907

Abstract

Trials were conducted in 2 years (trials 1 and 2) to investigate the feeding of relatively high levels of urea from either 3 or 6 months of age to slaughter on various physiological, pathological and carcass traits of dairy steers. In trials 1 and 2, 14 and 26 Holstein steers, respectively, were randomly assigned to isonitrogenous rations containing either soybean meal or urea (2.8% of grain mixture) as the source of supplemental nitrogen. Steers were fed the respective rations for 7 months in trial 1 and either 8 or 10 months in trial 2 prior to slaugher. Maximum daily consumption of urea approached 250 g per day.

The steers exhibited similar growth patterns during both trials except that in trial 2 steers fed the control ration gained significantly (P<.05) more weight than the urea group during the first 3 months of the experiment. This response may indicate a problem of adaptation to the urea ration at ages less than 6 months. The influence of urea feeding on carcass traits appeared to be of minor importance although control steers had a higher carcass grade (P<.05) than urea-fed steers and exhibited higher means (P>.10) for several traits examined. Urea feeding did not exert any detrimental influence on internal organs as determined by histopathological examination. Steers fed the urea ration tended to have higher plasma urea values (P<.05). Differing patterns of total plasma steroids were observed in trials 1 and 2. Control steers exhibited lower total steroids than urea-fed steers during trial 1 but higher (P<.05) total steroids during trial 2. A large portion of these differences between trials was due to changes in the patterns of cortisol and corticosterone concentrations.

Footnotes

1 Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Paper No. 4328. A contribution from the Department of Animal Sciences.

2 Present address: Department of Dairy Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. 57006.

3 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.






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Copyright © 1971 by the American Society of Animal Science.