Intake of a Concentrate Mixture Containing Various Anionic Salts Fed to Pregnant, Nonlactating Dairy Cows

¹ Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706

Intake of concentrate mixtures containing various anionic salts was evaluated. Anionic salt treatments consisted of either NH₄Cl, (NH₄)₂SO₄, MgSO₄·7H₂O, or CaCl₂·2H₂O in loose form or a pelleted mixture of anionic salts (56% MgSO₄·7H₂O and 44% NH₄Cl, plus carriers). Experimental cows were 12 pregnant, nonlactating, pluriparous cows. Anionic salts were mixed with 2.27 kg of concentrate and offered once daily along with mixed grass and alfalfa hay fed separate from the concentrate mixture. Treatments were arranged in two replicates of balanced 6 x 6 Latin squares; periods were 5 d each. Full dose of the anionic salts was 2.32 eq/d; one-third of this dose was fed on d 1 of each treatment period, two-thirds were fed on d 2, and the full dose was fed from d 3 through 5. Mean intake of the concentrate mixture was 97.6% for the control diet (no anionic salts added) and 76.5, 34.4, 34.0, 28.6, and 23.7% for the full dose of MgSO₄·7H₂O, pelleted anionic salts mixture, (NH₄)₂SO₄, NH₄Cl, and CaCl₂·2H₂O, respectively. The concentrate mixture containing MgSO₄·7H₂O was consumed more completely than concentrate mixtures containing any of the other anionic salt treatments.

Key Words: anionic salts • concentrate mixtures • feed intake • dairy cows

Submitted on August 10, 1992
Accepted on January 4, 1993

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