Replacement of common urea with protected urea in sheep supplement

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of replacing common urea with protected urea in the supplement on the nutrient intake and digestibility and metabolic profile of sheep. Five adult sheep, with an average age of 4 years and an initial average body weight of 50 +/- 4.03 kg, were used. The diet consisted of sorghum silage, supplemented with a multiple mixture of corn bran, soybean meal, white salt, mineral salt, common urea ( CU) or protected urea (PU). The experimental design was a 5x5 Latin square. Treatments consisted of: control or 100% CU, 75% CU and 25% PU, 50% CU and 50% PU, 25% CU and 75% PU and 100% PU. Collections and analysis of feed, feces, urine and blood were carried out to assess intake, digestibility and blood metabolites. Analysis of variance and SNK test were applied considering 5% significance. Nonparametric data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis at a significance level of 5%. The replacement of common urea with protected urea did not (P>0.05) alter the intake of dry matter, crude protein and water, and the dry matter digestibility. The production of urine and feces, and the density of urine also did not (P>0.05) show statistical difference with the replacement of common urea with protected urea. As for protein and energy metabolites, only glycemia showed variation (P<0.05), with the proportion of 75% CU and 25% PU, indicating the highest concentration of glucose in relation to the replacement of 0, 50 and 100% PU in the supplement. There are no benefits from partial or total replacement of common urea with protected urea in sheep supplementation.