Influence of cation-anion balance on feed intake, body weight gain, and humoral response of dairy calves

• Published in: Journal of dairy science Vol. 75; no. 5; pp. 1281 - 1286
• Main Authors: Jackson, J.A. (University of Kentucky, Lexington), Hopkins, D.M, Xin, Z, Hemken, R.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Savoy, IL Am Dairy Sci Assoc 01.05.1992; American Dairy Science Association
• Subjects: Animal Feed; Animals; ANION; ANIONES; Bicarbonates - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium - blood; Calcium - urine; Carbon Dioxide - blood; CATION; CATIONES; Cattle - blood; Cattle - growth & development; Cattle - physiology; Chlorides - blood; Chlorides - urine; CONTENIDO DE MATERIA SECA; Diet; DIETA; Eating; EQUILIBRE ACIDOBASIQUE; EQUILIBRIO ACIDO-BASE; Female; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GAIN DE POIDS; GANANCIA DE PESO; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; INGESTION DE PIENSO; Magnesium - blood; Magnesium - urine; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; ORINA; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; Potassium - blood; Potassium - urine; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (ANIMAUX); Random Allocation; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SANG; SANGRE; TENEUR EN MATIERE SECHE; TERNERO; URINE; VACAS LECHERAS; VACHE LAITIERE; VEAU; Weight Gain; Urine; Plasma; Hydroelectrolytic balance; Body weight; Ox; Cow; Minerals; Blood; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; pH; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Humoral immunity; Milk
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)77878-3

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of diets with varying cation-anion balance on performance and humoral responses in young, growing dairy calves. Twenty-eight Holstein and 4 Jersey female calves were blocked at 56 to 70 d after birth according to breed and age and assigned randomly to dietary treatments of 0, 21, 37, and 52 meq(Na + K) - Cl/100 g of dietary DM. Diets were based on cracked corn, dried brewers grains, and oats and were fed for 8 wk. Feed intake and average daily gain tended to increase quadratically, being highest for calves fed the +37-meq diet and lowest for those fed the O-meq diet. Blood and urine pH increased linearly with increasing dietary cation-anion balance. Plasma Ca increased linearly, and Mg and Cl decreased linearly with increasing cation-anion balance. Plasma Na and P were unaffected by dietary treatments. Urinary Ca, Mg, and Cl excretions decreased linearly; urinary P, Na, and K excretion increased linearly with increasing dietary cation-anion balance. Blood pH increased linearly with increasing dietary cation-anion balance. Blood partial pressure of CO2 and HCO3 increased concurrently with increasing dietary cation-anion balance. Results indicate that altering cation-anion balance may impact DWI and average daily gain in the young ruminant