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Dietary Cation-Anion Difference and the Health and Production of Pasture-Fed Dairy Cows 2. Nonlactating Periparturient Cows

J. R. Roche^*,,1, D. Dalley^*, P. Moate^*,2, C. Grainger^*, M. Rath and F. O’Mara

^* Agriculture Victoria Ellinbank, Victoria 3820, Australia
Department of Animal Science and Production, University College Dublin, Ireland

Corresponding author:
J. Roche; e-mail:
john.roche{at}dexcel.co.nz.

Anecdotal observations of reduced hypocalcemia due to small reductions in the precalving dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) are widely reported in Australia and New Zealand. Diets offered to nonlactating, periparturient dairy cows in pasture-based dairy systems in southeastern Australia can vary in their cation-anion difference from 0 to +76 mEq/100 g. The effects of such a range in the DCAD on the health and production of cows, on a pasture-based diet, were examined in an indoor feeding experiment. Four groups of four cows were offered pasture-hay and freshly cut pasture, a periparturient diet typical of that associated with the grazing system in Australia and New Zealand. Varying levels of salt supplementation were used to alter the dietary cation-anion difference, which ranged from -12 to +69 mEq/100 g. Blood and urine pH and mineral concentrations and urine hydroxyproline were measured. The addition of anions to the diet, to produce a negative DCAD, resulted in a nonrespiratory systemic acidosis. With decreasing DCAD, the pH of blood and urine and the strong ion difference of urine decreased curvilinearly, blood bicarbonate decreased linearly and the urinary ratio of Ca to creatinine increased curvilinearly. Although systemic pH was not reduced at a DCAD of +16 mEq/100 g, urine Ca-to-creatinine ratio had begun to rise, probably indicating increased calcium absorption. The absorption and renal excretion of Mg increased with decreasing DCAD. No differences were observed in urine hydroxyproline concentrations and no significant differences in milk production were measured.

Key Words: hypocalcaemia • dietary cation-anion difference • pasture • potassium

Abbreviation key: Creat = creatinine, DCAD = dietary cation-anion difference, DMD = dry matter digestibility, Hy = hydroxyproline, ICP-ES = inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry, ME = metabolizable energy

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