Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T10:13:11.429Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The influence of heavily fertilized grass on mineral metabolism of dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. J. Mudd
Affiliation:
Department of Functional Pathology, Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berks

Summary

Groups of lactating dairy cows were fed on grass which had received various amounts of nitrogen and potash fertilizers. In the early part of the season not only was the herbage concentration of calcium and phosphorus lower in grass which had received potash fertilizer but in addition the ‘availability’ of the calcium to cows was depressed. Grass which had received large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer had a comparatively low dry-matter content in the autumn. Cows fed such grass were in negative balance for calcium at this time. As expected high dietary potassium gave rise to high excretion of potassium in the urine which in turn was correlated with high excretion of magnesium. These various factors are likely to affect the incidence of metabolic disease.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

A.R.C. (1965). The nutrient requirements of farm livestock, no. 2, Ruminants. London: Agricultural Research Council.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. & Campling, R. C. (1962). Regulation of voluntary feed intake in ruminants. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 32, 669–86.Google ScholarPubMed
Bauer, G. C. H., Carlsson, A. & Lindquist, B. (1955). Evaluation of accretion, resorption and exchange reactions in the skeleton. K. fysiogr. Sällsk. Lünd Förh 25, 318.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Cowlishaw, B. & Rook, J. A. F. (1960). Potassium and hypomagnesaemic tetany in calves. Anim. Prod. 2, 110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, T. H. & Spedding, C. R. W. (19611962). The effect of nitrogenous fertilizer on the health of lactating ewes. Ann. Rept. Exps Prog. Grassld Res. Inst. 15, 58–9. (Publ. 1963.)Google Scholar
Burns, K. N. & Allcroft, R. (1967). Hypomagnesaemic tetany in cattle. I. Incidence, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment. Br. vet. J. 123, 340–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Butler, E. J. (1963). The mineral element content of spring pasture in relation to the occurrence of grass tetany and hypomagnesaemia in dairy cows. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 60, 329–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Care, A. D., Vowles, L. E., Mann, S. O. & Ross, D. B. (1967). Factors affecting magnesium absorption in relation to the aetiology of acute hypomagnesaemia. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 195204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Groot, Th. (1963). The influence of heavy nitrogen fertilization on the health of livestock. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 18, 112–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Groot, Th. (1967). The grazing dairy cow in relation to its environment under intensive farming conditions. Rept & Proc. 9th int. Congr. Anim. Prod. E.A.A.P. Edinburgh 165–73.Google Scholar
Hemingway, R. G. (1961). Magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium contents of herbage as influenced by fertilizer treatments over a three-year period. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 16, 106–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemingway, R. G., Inglis, J. S. S. & Ritchie, N. S. (1960). Factors involved in hypomagnesaemia in sheep. Brit. Vet. Assoc. Conference on Hypomagnesaemia 5868. London.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. & Spedding, C. R. W. (1966). The health and performance of the grazing animal in relation to fertilizer nitrogen usage. I. Calves. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67, 155–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hvidsten, H. (1967). Studies on hypomagnesaemia in sheep as influenced by fertilizer treatment of pasture. Z. Tierphysiol. Tierernähr. Futtermittelk. 22, 210–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kemp, A. & 't Hart, M. L. (1957). Grass tetany in grazing milking cows Neth. J. agric. Sci. 5, 417.Google Scholar
Kemp, A., Deijs, W. B., Hemkes, B. J. & Van Es, A. J. H. (1960). Intake and utilization of magnesium from herbage by lactating cows. Conference on Hypomagnesaemia Brit. Vet. Assoc. 2332. London.Google Scholar
Large, R. V. (1968). The effect of nitrogenous fertilizesr on animal health. N.A.A.S. q. Rev. 79, 110–7.Google Scholar
Large, R. V. & Spedding, C. R. W. (1966). The health and performance of the grazing animal in relation to fertilizer nitrogen usage. II. Weaned lambs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67, 4152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leech, F. B., Davis, M. E., Macrae, W. D. & Withers, F. W. (1960). Disease Wastage and Husbandry in the British Dairy Herd. Report of a National Survey 1957–8. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
L'Estrange, J. L., Owen, J. B. & Wilman, D. (1967 a). The relationship between the serum magnesium concentration of grazing ewes and their dry-matter intake and milk yield. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 165–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
L'Estrange, J. L., Owen, J. B. & Wilman, D. (1967 b). Effects of a high level of nitrogenous fertilizer and date of cutting on the availability of the magnesium and calcium of herbage to sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 173–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manston, R. (1967). The influence of dietary calcium and phosphorus concentration on their absorption in the cow. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 263–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oyaert, W. (1962). Influence of potassium loading on magnesium metabolism. Berl. Münch, tierärztl. Wschr. 75, 323–5.Google Scholar
Paterson, R. (1965). Milk from Grass. Massey-Ferguson Papers, no. 2, pp. 68.Google Scholar
Payne, J. M. & Sansom, B. F. (1966). Calcium metabolism in normal and thyro-parathyroidectomised goats. J. Physiol., Lond. 184, 433–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rahman, H., McDonald, P. & Simpson, K. (1960). Effects of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on the mineral status of perennial ryegrass, (Lolium perenne.) I. Mineral content J. Sci. Fd Agric. 11, 422–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, D. (1966). The response of herbage yields and quality to a wide range of nitrogen application rates. Proc. 10th Int. Grassld Congr. 209–13.Google Scholar
Stewart, A. B. & Holmes, W. (1953). Manuring of grassland. I. Some effects of heavy dressings of nitrogen on the mineral composition of grassland herbage. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 4, 401–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttle, N. F. & Field, A. C. (1967). Studies on magnesium in ruminant nutrition 8. Effect of increased intakes of potassium and water on the metabolism of magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calcium in sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 21, 819–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, D. C. (1966 a). Nutrient Minerals in Grassland Herbage. Commonwealth Bur. Pastures Field Crops Mimeogr. Publ. No. 1.Google Scholar
Whitehead, D. C. (1966b). Data on the mineral composition of grassland herbage from the Grassland Research Institute, Hurley and the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Aberystwyth. Technical Report, no. 4. Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, England.Google Scholar