Nitrate is safe to feed ad libitum in molasses roller drums as a source of non-protein nitrogen
| dc.creator | Goopy, John P. | |
| dc.creator | Hegarty, Roger S. | |
| dc.date | 2019 | |
| dc.date | 2023-03-10T14:33:20Z | |
| dc.date | 2023-03-10T14:33:20Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-27T16:53:50Z | |
| dc.description | We investigated voluntary intake, growth and safety of cattle offered low-quality forage diets plus isonitrogenous molasses-based liquid supplements containing either urea (U) or a calcium nitrate-containing compound (NO3). We hypothesised that changing the nitrogen source from U to calcium nitrate would not jeopardise animal health or affect intake. Angus cattle (n = 24) were allocated to six pens, with three pens each receiving a molasses supplement containing U or a molasses supplement containing NO3 for 31 days. There was a trend (P = 0.06) for the NO3 treatment group to consume more of the (oaten chaff) basal diet than the U treatment group. The U group consumed more supplement than did the NO3 group (1.31 vs 0.40 kg DM/head.day s.e.m. = 0.094, P < 0.0001), but total DM intake was not different (6.45 vs 6.10 kg/head.day, P = 0.15). Mean final animal liveweight was not different between treatments. Methaemoglobin levels were higher in the NO3 group (2.1 vs 1.3%, P < 0.001). Low consumption of nitrate was also reflected in there being no effect of nitrate on the methane production rate when assessed in open-circuit calorimetry chambers (7.1 vs 7.0 g/head.2 h, P = 0.898). It is confirmed that nitrate may be safely provided to cattle when dissolved at 154 g/kg in a molasses-based liquid supplement available ad libitum, but may not be an effective methane mitigant due to low NO3 intake. It is speculated that nitrate may be a useful tool to limit voluntary intake of non-protein nitrogen supplements. | |
| dc.identifier | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129328 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/136432 | |
| dc.language | en | |
| dc.publisher | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation | |
| dc.rights | Limited Access | |
| dc.source | Goopy, John P.; Hegarty, R.S. 2019. Nitrate is safe to feed ad libitum in molasses roller drums as a source of non-protein nitrogen. Animal Production Science 59: 1288 | |
| dc.subject | nitrogen | |
| dc.subject | molasses | |
| dc.subject | nitrate | |
| dc.subject | protein | |
| dc.title | Nitrate is safe to feed ad libitum in molasses roller drums as a source of non-protein nitrogen | |
| dc.type | Journal Article |