Effect of concentrate and urea-molasses-mineral block on the body condition and milk production of dairy cows

An on-farm 120-day feeding trial involving 62 Holstein Friesian x Sahiwal crossbreds at PDC Davao was conducted to determine the effects of nutrient supplementation, i.e. concentrate and Urea Molasses Mineral Block (UMMB) and their combinations, on body condition, heartgirth, and milk production. The animals were blocked into two stages of lactation (5 mo. and 5 mo.) and then allotted into four dietary treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in RCBD. The treatments were as follows: 1-with concentrate, with UMMB, 2-with concentrate, with UMMB, 3-without concentrate, and 4-without concentrate, without UMMB. The lick block was fortified with trace elements. Concentrate supplementation signicantly improved the body condition score of the cows regardless of the use of UMMB. Heartgirth was significantly biggest among cows given concentrate and UMMB, followed by those given only concentrate, and lastly, those without concentrates. On the other hand, milk production was significantly higher from cows given only concentrates compared to those provided both supplements. UMMB supplementation improved milk yield comparable to those given both concentrate and UMMB, while the non-supplemented cows had the lowest milk production. The higher (17 percent) milk yield of cows given only concentrate than those given both the supplements indicates depletion and mobilization of body reserves for milk synthesis as evidenced by the decrease in body condition score. The presence of additional nutrients from UMMB among concentrate-fed cows apparently improved rumen digestion, shortened retention time and consequently increased nutrient utilization, resulting in the animals to partition the nutrients for both milk and tissue synthesis. In contrast, concentrate-fed cows without UMMB had to mobilize body reserves solely for milk synthesis. Without concentrate feeding, UMMB significantly increased milk production by 25 percent. Milk fat content was significantly increased with the supplementation of UMMB, thus the fat-corrected milk yield was similar among cows receiving concentrate. However, among cows without concentrate, UMMB supplementation significantly improved fat-corrected milk yield by 35 percent