title: Dietary electrolyte balance effects on performance and metabolic characteristics in finishing steers.
abstract: One hundred twenty Angus and Angus-hereford crossbred steers (337 +/- 3 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of dietary electrolyte balance (DEB; Na + K - Cl) on performance, acid-base status, and plasma mineral concentrations in cattle consuming a high-concentrate, low-fiber (5% cottonseed hull) diet. The steers were blocked into six groups based on BW and pen location, with five steers per pen. The treatments consisted of 0, 15, 30, and 45 mEq of DEB/100 g of DM. Average daily DMI increased linearly (P < .01) with increasing DEB for the first 28 d then increased quadratically (P < .05) for the remainder of the study. Daily gain tended (P < .10) to increase quadratically, whereas gain:feed was not affected by DEB. Carcass marbling score increased quadratically (P < .05), but other carcass measurements were not affected by DEB. On d 42, arterial blood pH was increased quadratically (P < .10) and HCO3 responded cubically (P < .10) to DEB, whereas ionized Ca, pCO2, and pO2 were not affected by treatment. On d 84, pCO2 (P < .10) and HCO3 (P < .05) decreased linearly as DEB increased. On d 42, plasma concentrations of Na, K (P < .10), and Mg (P < .05) decreased quadratically with increasing DEB. Plasma CV concentrations decreased linearly (P < .05) with increasing DEB on d 42. On d 84, total plasma Ca increased linearly (P < .10) with increasing DEB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7621.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Spears
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Garlich
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D011897:Random Allocation; D012417:Rumen / Q000737:chemistry; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D004573:Electrolytes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide