Urea concentration in bulk milk as an indicator of the protein supply at the herd level

Levels of urea in bulk milk from 80 herds were analysed twice monthly during 1 year to study herd variations and effect of season (Experiment 1). The overall (mean ± s) was 4.7 ± 1.3 mmol/1 ranging from 1.4 to 10.0 mmol/1. Generally, the urea levels were high in summer and early autumn and during this period there were 3 peaks, the first one at the beginning of June, the second one in the middle of July and the third one at the end of September. The peaks reflected feed changes and use of fertilizers commonly practized in the area.In another study samples of bulk milk were obtained from 49 herds using single forage diets with fresh grass silage and standardized concentrate mixtures (Experiment 2). In these herds all feed components given on the day of urea sampling were weighed as accurately as possible and a sample of the silage was taken for chemical analyses and determination of in vitro digestibility. Mean level of crude protein (CP) in silage dry matter was 15.6 ± 2.2 % and average dietary digestible crude protein (DCP) per feed unit (FU) was 146 ± 16 g. In all herds the protein levels in the total daily ration were equal to or above recommended standards. Urea concentration in bulk milk was significantly affected by the GP content in silage, level of dietary DGP and amount of DCP/FU. In energy deficient herds relatively high urea values were obtained without any great surplus of protein. Yield did not significantly affect the urea concentration in bulk milk.