Performance of Feeder Heifers Fed Corn Silage Treated with 10, 15 and 20 Pounds of Urea Per Ton

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the amount of urea could be increased above 10 pounds per ton of corn silage without adversely affecting the acceptability of the silage or the feedlot performance of feeder heifers.

One hundred and eight feeder heifers with an average weight of 450-500 pounds were involved in a two-year experiment conducted at the University of Tennessee's Blount Farm, Knoxville. Three treatments with 10, 15 and 20 pounds per ton of urea treated corn silage were used in this two-year study.

In both trials, there were three replications (pens) per treatment with six feeder heifers per pen. At the beginning of both trials, 24 mg. of diethylstilbestrol was implanted per head.

The results showed that all three levels of urea were equally acceptable, and that feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were not significantly (P > .05) affected, either positively or negatively, by the addition of 10, 15 or 20 pounds of urea per ton of corn silage. Therefore, it was concluded that, when desirable, up to 20 pounds of urea could be added per ton of corn silage without adverse effects.