The effect of feeding frequency and dose rate of nitrate supplements on blood haemoglobin fractions in Bos indicus cattle fed Flinders grass (Iseilemia spp.) hay
I. Benu A B , M. J. Callaghan C , N. Tomkins D , G. Hepworth E , L. A. Fitzpatrick A and A. J. Parker A F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
B Faculty of Animal Science, University of Nusa Cendana, Kupang NTT, Indonesia.
C Ridley AgriProducts Pty Ltd, Toowong, Brisbane, Qld 4066, Australia.
D CSIRO Agriculture, Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
E Statistical Consulting Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: anthony.parker@jcu.edu.au
Animal Production Science 56(10) 1605-1611 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14886
Submitted: 17 October 2014 Accepted: 30 March 2015 Published: 29 June 2015
Abstract
Twelve Bos indicus steers (liveweight ± s.d., 317.8 ± 28.5) kg were used in an experiment to examine two factors: daily nitrate dose (0, 30, 40 or 50 g of nitrate/day) and feeding frequency (once or twice a day) on methaemoglobin concentration, daily peak methaemoglobin concentration, rate of incline for methaemoglobin concentration, carboxyhaemoglobin concentration, oxyhaemoglobin concentration, total haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit and dry matter intake of Flinders grass hay. Increasing the dose rate of nitrate increased the fraction of methaemoglobin in the blood of steers (P = 0.014). A highly significant effect was demonstrated for the interaction of dose rate × day (P < 0.001). For once a day intake of nitrate, the dose rates of 40 and 50 g per day showed a greater increase in mean methaemoglobin values than for the 0 and 30 g of nitrate per day. Increasing the dose rate of nitrate also increased the daily peak methaemoglobin fraction and the rate of incline to peak methaemoglobin values for both once and twice a day feeding of the nitrate supplements. However, increasing the dose of nitrate had no significant overall effect on total haemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin, carboxyhaemoglobin, haematocrit or dry matter intake. Twice a day feeding of nitrate decreased the formation of methaemoglobin in the blood of Bos indicus steers. This study demonstrates that caution should be exercised when feeding nitrates as a non-protein nitrogen source to cattle grazing low quality pastures in northern Australia.
Additional keywords: Brahman, carbon, cattle, methaemoglobin, methane, nitrite.
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