The effect of urea in the diet of the early-weaned calf on weight gain, nitrogen and sulphur balance, and plasma urea and free amino acid concentrations

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with 40 male Friesian calves between 5 and 11 weeks of age. The control diet contained meat meal as the sole protein supplement to grain, and this was replaced by urea to supply 20.1, 39.2, or 55.6% of the dietary nitrogen. The growth rate of the calves, when corrected for digestible dry matter intake, was significantly lower when urea supplied 55.6 % of the dietary nitrogen than when it supplied 0, 20.1, or 39.2% of the dietary nitrogen. The retention of nitrogen and sulphur was lower in the calves given 55.6% of the dietary nitrogen as urea, but the ratio of nitrogen to sulphur retained was constant for all diets. There was a positive correlation between dietary urea nitrogen intake and urea nitrogen concentration in the blood plasma. The urea nitrogen and a-amino nitrogen concentration in the blood plasma was greater in calves at 2 weeks of age than at 11 weeks of age. The concentrations of free glycine, valine, leucine, ornithine, lysine, and histidine in the blood plasma were significantly lower in the calves given the higher levels of urea in the diet.