A five-goat Latin-square trial in the Mekong Delta replaced para grass with urea-molasses-treated rice straw at 0-100%. Higher levels improved some digestibility measures but reduced intake, daily gain and feed conversion. Growth did not differ between 0% and 25%, suggesting moderate use during forage shortages rather than complete replacement.
Key findings
- Increasing UMS linearly reduced DM, OM, NDF, ADF and hemicellulose intake (p
Why this matters globally
Treated rice straw could improve feed resilience and by-product use during forage shortages, but inclusion must be limited to avoid reducing palatability and energy intake.
Thai researcher contribution
Pham Thi Cam Nhung lists the Department of Physiology, Chulalongkorn University, in this collaboration. The feeding experiment and production context were in the Mekong Delta, not Thai farms.
Limitations to consider
Only five animals were used. A Latin square controls individual differences but is sensitive to period and carryover effects and is weak for long-term growth. Period length, adaptation, cost and urea safety are not detailed; practical use requires controlled treatment and mixing.