Agtech Natural Resources NuFeed has been added to ruminant diets to counter toxic levels of ammonia, which can arise when non-protein nitrogen (NPN) compounds (such as urea) are added to the diet.
Ammonium ions formed during digestion and fermentation of NPN are exchanged into the molecular sieve structure of NuFeed by cation-exchange. These captured ammonium ions are released gradually over several hours by the regenerative action of saliva, which enters the rumen during the after-feeding fermentation period. This process is again an ion-exchange mechanism with the sodium in the saliva replacing and releasing the ammonium held on the NuFeed molecule.
The result of this NuFeed-ammonium interaction in the rumen is that ammonia toxicity is reduced (NPN can be fed more safely). At the same time, nitrogen is made available on a more continuous basis for rumen micro-organisms to synthesize protein for assimilation into the ruminant’s digestive system. Refer also to: NuFeed and Non-Protein Nitrogen (NPN) Technical Information Sheet.