The effect of the method of presentation of a concentrated solution containing urea, minerals, trace elements and vitamins on the voluntary intake of oat straw by beef cattle

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Abstract
Sixteen Hereford-cross cattle (mean live weight 263 kg) in groups of four were individually given 1·5 kg cubed barley per day with ad libitum access to oat straw. In a 4 × 4 Latin square design (21-day feeding periods) they were additionally given either no supplement (diet A) or 100g/day of a fully soluble liquid supplement containing urea (equivalent to 1090 g crude protein per kg), calcium, phosphorus, sodium, trace elements and vitamins, presented either in the cubed barley (diet B), in the drinking water (diet C) or in a molasses lick (3 parts molasses:2 parts liquid supplement:1 part water) (diet D). Each method of supplementation significantly increased the mean voluntary straw dry-matter intake from approximately 2·9 to approximately 3·25 kg. Mean blood urea concentrations were significantly increased from approximately 1·0 to approximately 1·9 mmol/1 by all three treatments. The coefficients of variation for the individual blood-urea values of the cattle when given each of the three treatments were very comparable, indicating that there was a reasonable individual uniformity of intake of liquid supplement irrespective of method of presentation.