Effects of urea treatment of straw and dietary level of vegetable oil on lactating dairy cows.

Four crossbreds (75% Holstein Friesian) lactating dairy cows were used to evaluate the effects of sunflower oil (SFO) levels and roughage source on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, milk yield, and milk composition. Four milking cows with average liveweight of 410 ± 25 kg and 18 ± 11 days in milk were randomly assigned according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with SFO levels (3% or 6%) in the concentrate and the roughage source [rice straw (RS) or urea-treated RS (UTRS)] being the main factors. Four dietary treatments as (1) 3% SFO + RS, (2) 6% SFO + RS, (3) 3% SFO + UTRS, and (4) 6% SFO + UTRS were offered ad libitum total mixed ration, with a concentrate/roughage ratio of 60:40. The results were found that UTRS as a roughage source significantly increased feed intake, digestibility, concentration of acetic acid in rumen fluid, rumen ammonia-nitrogen, blood-urea nitrogen, milk urea-nitrogen, and milk yield (3.5% fat-corrected milk) compared with cows fed on untreated RS. Supplementation of SFO at 3% in the concentrate-supplemented group having increased dry matter intake, milk fat percentage, and milk yield (3.5% fat-corrected milk) compared with 6% SFO supplementation. However, there were no interaction effects between level of SFO in the concentrate and roughage source in any of the factors studied.