Impact of Supplementing Urea-Molasses Multi-Nutrient Block (UMMB) on Growth Performance of Crossbred Rams

Abstract

The urea-molasses-multi-nutrient block (UMMB) supplementation can be an efficient method to maximize rumen microbial activity through a balanced supply of protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins as the grazing of sheep on pastures may not meet their nutritional needs. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how crossbred ram’s growth was impacted by UMMB supplementation throughout varying time periods. Twelve crossbred rams were split up into four treatment groups with three replications based on their initial body weight. The control group (T₀) continued to graze normally 10-h day^-1, while groups T₁, T₂, and T₃ were access to lick UMMB for 1-h, 1.5-h, and 2-h day^-1, respectively with 10-h grazing period. Rams licking UMMB for 2 hours was found to have the numerically highest body weight (p>0.05). After 13 weeks of licking UMMB, their final body weights were 17.37±2.18 kg, 19.20±2.46 kg, 21.13±5.31 kg, and 22.27±2.58 kg, respectively for T₀, T₁, T₂, and T₃ groups. At weeks 2, 5, 7, 10 and 13, ram's average daily gain (ADG) (g) differed among rams’ groups licked UMMB at various durations (p<0.05). Similarly, at week 6, 9 and 12, the ADG (g) also differed significantly among rams’ groups licked UMMB at various durations (p<0.01). ADG for the whole experimental period (91 days) were 34.15±4.56 g, 59.26±5.82 g, 82.96±8.19 g and 90.48±9.39 g, respectively for T₀, T₁, T₂, and T₃ groups (p<0.001). It can be concluded that the ADG increased linearly and significantly with increasing of the UMMB licking period and 2-h licking ensured maximum growth performance in crossbred rams