FEEDING OF UMMB UMMB must only be fed to post-weaning, growing or adult ruminants and never to monogastric species or to pre-ruminant calves, kid goats, lambs and deer fawns because of urea toxicity problems. Blocks are introduced gradually in the diet of ruminants during a transition period of about 2 weeks to enable the animals to adapt to the new supplement. Blocks being palatable, are licked by animals according to their requirement, thereby regulating the intake of urea so as to ensure its efficient utilisation, without any risk of toxicity. The targeted daily intake by adult animals should be 700 g/head for cattle, 150 g/head for deer and 100 g/head for goats and sheep. BENEFITS Consumption of UMMB depends on the type of fodder or roughage and concentrates in the diet as well as on the physiological state of the animal. The positive effect of UMMB intake on overall performance of an animal will be more pronounced on a low plane of nutrition, that is, a crop-residue or straw-based diet. According to Hendratno (1997), there is a significant improvement in body condition and reproductive performance as well as an overall increase in milk yield. Also, higher amounts of molasses may be utilised not only as a feed component but also as a vehicle for urea, minerals and rumen non-degradable protein to cater for nutritional deficiencies.
