The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dairy cow diets containing two different sources of urea on nitrogen metabolism and microbial synthesis. Eight crossbred cows were confined and distributed in two 4x4 Latin: FS - soybean meal (control), conventional urea (UC) 100%; ULL 44 UC = 56% / 44% ULL, ULL 88 UC = 12% / 88% ULL. Diets were offered to animals during 21 days with 14 days of adaptation. The N intake, retained nitrogen balance, nitrogen excretion in milk, urine, feces and total N excretion were similar and presented averages of 340.27g/day, 136.73g/day, 43.25g/day, 53.17g/day, 103.54g/day, and 199.96g/day, respectively. The percentages of urine and total nitrogen excretion were 16.24 and 60.71 (%), respectively. Ureic nitrogen in milk, urine and blood were 3.95mg/dL, 4.32mg/dl and 23.73mg/dL, respectively. The results found for the excretion of purine derivatives, allantoin, absorbable purines, microbial nitrogen, microbial protein and the relationship between microbial protein and digestible nutrients were 321.68mmol/day, 296.35mmol/day, 334.61mmol/day, 210.6g/day, 1316.27g/day, and 127.36g/kg, respectively. The partial replacement of soybean meal by conventional urea and / or urea encapsulated in feeding lactating cows yielded similar results in nitrogenous compounds, the concentrations of nitrogen from urine and milk and microbial protein synthesis.
coated urea; microbial production; nitrogen balance