The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combinations of different sources of non-protein nitrogen with carbohydrate sources as supplement feed to cattle on intake, in situ degradability and passage rate. Treatments consisted of the following protein supplements: CSUENC= soybean hulls + encapsulated urea; CSUREIA = soybean hulls + urea; MTAMIR = ground corn + starea; MTURENC = ground corn + encapsulated urea; MTUREIA = ground corn + urea. The animals were fed with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu as roughage. The experiment was conducted in a latin square design (five supplements, five animals, five periods). The treatments did not affect the intake of nutrients (P>0.05), although a higher intake of crude protein (g/kgBW0.75) was observed by animals fed with CSUENC. A higher intake of NDF, ADF (kg/day, %BW; g/kgBW0.75) and hemicellulose (% PV; g/kgBW0.75) was observed by animals fed with CSUREIA when compared to those with MTUREIA (P<0.05). The degradability of nutritional fractions was not affected by any of the treatments (P>0.05), except for the potentially degradable cellulose. The ammoniacal nitrogen concentration in rumen fluid was influenced by the protein source (P<0.05) and was higher for MTUREIA and MTURENC treatments in relation to CSURENC. The tested combinations of different sources of non-protein nitrogen with different carbohydrates did not affect the forage intake or degradability. Therefore, the choice of the ingredients for protein supplement formulation should be made considering other factors as availability and price of these supplements.
digestibility; passage rate; protein supplement