HOW TO MAKE UREA MOLASSES BLOCKS (UMB) AND FEED TO SHEEP AND GOATS

HOW TO MAKE UREA MOLASSES BLOCKS (UMB) AND FEED TO SHEEP AND GOATS

Why supplement Urea Molasses Blocks? Supplementation with Urea Molasses Blocks (UMB) can: increase digestibility of fibrous feeds by up to 20%, increase feed intake by 25 to 30%. Blocks convenient way to make and store molasses and urea and also feed to animals. Can easily be made and used in villages. A person may make and sell blocks to farmers as a source of income. other ingredients like vitamins, minerals, medicines, etc. can be incorporated.

Urea Molasses Blocks (UMB)

A model farmer feeding his heifer with MUB MUB improves growth performance Live weight gain of grazing Arsi bulls supplemented with MUB 600 500 400 weight gain (g/d) 300 200 100 0 Grazing (G) G + MUB G +MUB+ 0.5 kg con Supplementation G + MUB + 1.0 kg con G + MUB + 2 kg con

Sheep licking urea molasses blocks (Technique being used by farmers after demonstration by ESGPIP trained Kebele Development Agents

Effects of UMB supplements on growth rate of sheep and goats fed cut/carry pasture Growth rate (g/day) Animals No-UMB supplementatio n UMB supplemented % Increase Sheep (local) Goats (does) 140 316 126 40 88 120

Ingredients Molasses: source of energy, mineral and appetizer Urea: NPN source fibrous feeds like wheat bran: binding, bulk, protein, energy Oil cake: slowly digestible and bypass protein Salt: Mineral Cement: (binding agent). Urea Molasses Bran

Ingredients Alternative Formulae A B C D E F G H I J K L M Wheat bran 25 25 27 35 40 40 23 25 23 25 25 35 22 Molasses 40 50 10 20 10 5 50 45 50 31 34 39 50 Urea 10 10 8 8 10 10 5 15 10 10 10 10 9 Salt 4 5 5 8 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 5 5 5 0 10 6 Quick lime 5 5 5 7 7 Cement 10 5 10 5 5 10 10 10 10 15 15 5 14 Triple phosphate 2 0 Dicalcium phosphate 1 5 3 3 3 Poultry litter 15 Oilseed cake 15 13 13 Clay 20 20 20 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

How to make Urea Molasses Blocks UMB can be manufactured on the farm. The manufacturing can be divided into four stages: 1. Preparation of the components; 2. Mixing; 3. Molding; and 4. Drying

1. Preparation of the components Type of inputs Amounts of ingredients in kg 10 Kg block 20 kg block 30 Kg block 50 Kg block 100Kg block Molasses 3 6 9 15 30 Urea 1 2 3 5 10 Wheat bran 2.5 5 7.5 12.5 25 Cement 1.5 3 4.5 7.5 15 Noug cake 1 2 3 5 10 Mineral mix 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.5 3 Salt 0.7 1.4 2.1 3.5 7 Total 10 20 30 50 100 Water 0.4 0.8 1.2 2 4

2. Mixing 1. Weigh amount of ingredients needed based on formula. 2. Add urea to the molasses while continuously mixing for about 20 minutes. 3. The molasses can be heated in the sun to improve handling and mixing. 4. Never add water to molasses. It has to be thick. 5. Add bran and any other fibrous material like noug cake, if part of the formula, and mix thoroughly. 6. Make the cement into a paste with water prior to adding to the rest of the ingredients. 7. Mixing the salt with cement accelerates hardening.

2. Mixing urea, Molasses and Bran 2. Mixing Urea and Molasses 1. Adding urea to molasses 3. Adding/mixing bran

Casting and molding (Types of molds) Wooden mold-dzarc PVC tube mold DZARC Mold made of metal sheets - HARC Machine for making solid construction blocks

Molding urea molasses blocks Molding using wooden bars. Molding using small tin cans. Removing molded blocks for drying.

Steps in molding UMB s 1. Filling the mold 2. Compacting 3. opening the mold 4. Removing the block

Drying UMB s

UMB from a Large scale Manufacture by a cooperative in Chifra wereda, Afar region Large scale manufacture Machine for making solid construction blocks can be used

Characteristics of a good UMB UMB considered good when it fulfils the following: Ingredients are well distributed throughout the block. does not have lumps of urea; hard enough to resist being squashed between fingers or breaking when a person steps on it. The sticky molasses can be felt when holding the block. amount of molasses needs to be increased if it doesn t feel sticky.

Precautions while feeding UMB s Feed to ruminants only (sheep, goats, cattle, camels). Do not feed to: monogastrics, i.e., horses, donkeys, or pigs; young ruminants <6 months of age (kids, lambs); UMB s should be used as a supplement not as the basic ration. A minimum of coarse forage in the rumen is essential. Never give blocks to an emaciated animal with an empty stomach. There is the risk of poisoning due to excessive consumption. amount fed to sheep/goats should be limited to 100 grams/day. Blocks should never be supplied in ground form or dissolved in water as this can result in over consumption. Supply sufficient amount of water.

Transferable Message In kebeles where ingredients are available, Demonstrate to: Farmers; small scale urban/peri-urban youth to manufacture and supply UMB to farmers as a business venture