Dr.iCow’s Diary
Date: 27.01.2020
Dear Dr.iCow,
I need to know how to use or feed molasses to my dairy cow.
From: Joseph, County: Makueni, Kenya.
Discussion:
Molasses liquid feeds can be top dressed on forages, mixed with dry feeds and fed together with total mixed ratios –TMR. Adding molasses and chopping of forages increases dry feed intake, increases digestibility and fermentation of dry and organic matter and improve their taste.
The high palatability of molasses makes it perfect supplement for low quality forages like poor hay, straws, and silages by increasing dry matter intake and also enhances their nutritive value. Blocks of molasses with proteins and fiber, liquid molasses and quality mineral supplements are to be considered in improving a cow’s feedstuffs.
Dear Joseph,
Molasses is a byproduct of sugar production and contains dry matter, sucrose, reducing sugars, fibre and is low in proteins. Molasses usage is flexible in dry and fresh forages and there is no need to add it to specific kind of feed mixture. It can be used as a supplement in livestock feeds as a cost effective and quick source of energy. It enhances the nutritive value of forages and other feeds and improves feedstuffs like hay, silage, green grass and sweet potatoes vines palatability, increase in dry matter intake, fermentation, digestibility and taste.
Molasses when fed to animals help to maintain body condition, strengthens the overall bone structure, improves appetite, lower wastages of feeds and increase milk yields. For better results molasses can be fortified and balanced by adding proteins like vegetable protein meals e.g. cottonseed cakes, and as a mixture of; molasses +urea + water in the ratio of 4:1:6 to avoid urea toxicity. Ensure your livestock have adequate pasture forages when supplementing with molasses.
Molasses based supplements encourage dry matter consumption.
Thank you.
From your friend and advisor,
Dr.iCow