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The voluntary intake of acetate by dairy cows given ammonium salts of short-chain fatty acids in their drinking water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. Jackson
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural Sciences, The University, Leeds
J. Hodgson
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural Sciences, The University, Leeds
J. A. F. Rook
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural Sciences, The University, Leeds
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Extract

A solution of ammonium salts of a mixture of short-chain fatty acids (mainly acetic acid) was added to the sole source of drinking water of 10 lactating Jersey cows. There was considerable variation in the concentration of salts tolerated without depression in water intake. Some animals refused solution offered at a concentration of 0·5% (w/w) whereas one animal accepted solution at a concentration of 8% (w/w) and had a mean daily intake of salts equivalent to 836 g acetic acid.

2. Adjustment of the pH of the drinking solution to 6·5–7·5 increased the tolerance to the salts solution of animals which showed a low tolerance to the unadjusted solution. A mean daily intake equivalent to 480 g acetic acid was achieved without a significant depression of water intake. Replacement of 50 % of the ammonium ions by calcium increased the intake of salts by some cows but two out of eight refused the solution at a concentration of 0·5% (w/w).

3. The addition of saccharine, vanilla or aniseed to a solution of the ammonium salts gave little or no improvement in acetate intake but sodium cyclamate, ethyl acetate or molasses reduced the variability between animals in their tolerance to the solution and increased the mean intake of salts. With an addition of molasses, which gave the most marked response, there was a mean daily intake of salts equivalent to 495±26 g acetic acid.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1968

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References

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