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Is chloride or sulfate the better anion to prevent milk fever? |
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Recent research* by USDA researchers Dr.s Jesse Goff and Ronald Horst demonstrated that the addition of chloride to the ration was about four times more effective in acidifying the urine than an equivalent amount of sulfate added to the diet. They reported that “chloride is absorbed to a greater extent than sulfate, making chloride a more potent acidifier of the blood and urine.” |
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How palatable is chloride? |
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When added to the diet as an anionic salt, chloride imparts a salty taste to the diet, which can reduce ration palatability. Adding chloride in the form of hydrochloric acid imparts an acidic taste that is less objectionable to cows and does not impair palatability or feed intake to the same degree as anionic salts. This contrast has been compared to human tastes that can appreciate vinegar as a salad dressing, while salt on a salad could quickly become objectionable. |
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What is the best way to add hydrochloric acid to closeup dairy cow rations? |
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We recommend SoyChlor, a dry-cow supplement that utilizes SoyPLUS® as a carrier for hydrochloric acid. This combination supplies a high quality protein and hydrochloric acid in a form that is safe to handle, uniform and convenient to use. |
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Are there any additional benefits to feeding SoyChlor? |
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There are several important additional benefits:
SoyChlor is a very cost-effective source of anions.
The primary ingredient in SoyChlor is SoyPLUS®, a widely accepted and highly palatable of bypass protein.
Because the anion utilized in SoyChlor is all chloride – the most powerful acidifier – fewer equivalents of anion have to be added to the diet to effectively reduce urine pH to the target range of 6.0 to 6.5.
In on-farm trials, some dairy producers have observed that SoyChlor provides a preservative effect on TMRs. By lowering ration pH, feed bunk stability is improved and, in some cases, a dry-cow TMR can be fed for two days, rather than needing to be mixed fresh daily or twice a day.
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Can the effectiveness of SoyChlor be monitored? |
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Yes. The urine of closeup dry cows should be monitored after cows have been fed a SoyChlor ration for at least five days. If the average urine pH from several cows is greater than 7.0, more SoyChlor may be added to the diet. If the average urine pH is below 6.0, then SoyChlor content of the diet can be reduced. Jersey herds may find better milk fever control when the average urine pH is closer to 6.0 than 6.5 |
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What is the recommended feeding rate for SoyChlor? |
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SoyChlor can be substituted for usual protein sources in dry cow rations as a source of chloride to adjust dietary cation-anion balance, which should begin with reducing dietary cation content of the ration.
Feeding rate will vary with dietary cation content, but amounts of 2-3 lbs. per head per day will provide sufficient anionic activity to properly balance DCAD in most rations. Consult your nutrition professional for more details.
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References & Further Reading |
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Guard, C.L., 1996 Fresh cow problems are costly: Culling hurts the most. Hoard’s Dairyman, 141:8.
Goff, J.P., and R.L. Horst, Assessment of hydrochloric acid as a source of anions for adjusting dietary cation-anion difference. J Dairy Science 79 (supplement): page 198, 1996.
Goff, J.P., and R.L. Horst, Relative acidogenic activity of commonly used anionic salts – rethinking the dietary cation-anion difference equations. J Dairy Science 80 (supplement): page 169, 1997.
Ender, F., and I.W. Dishington, 1967. Comparative studies on calcium balance levels in parturient cows fed diets inducing and preventing milk fever. 557A. XVIIIth World Veterinary Congress, Paris.
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