Effects of ammoniation of endophyte fungus-infested fescue hay on serum prolactin concentration and rectal temperature in beef cattle.

A group of 48 crossbred steers (approx 250 kg each) were used to determine the effects of various diets and treatments on serum prolactin concentrations and rectal temperatures. The steers were randomly assigned to groups fed the following: (1) endophyte fungus-infested fescue hay; (2) ammoniated endophyte fungus-infested fescue hay; (3) endophyte fungus-infested fescue hay plus 1 g of thiabendazole (TBZ)/9.1 kg of body weight at 7-day intervals; (4) ammoniated endophyte fungus-infested fescue hay plus 1 g of TBZ/9.1 kg at 7-day intervals; (5) ground Bermuda grass hay; and (6) endophyte-fungus-free fescue hay. Blood samples for prolactin determinations and rectal temperatures were obtained biweekly beginning on week 3 and continuing through week 9. A significant correlation (P less than 0.05) between low prolactin concentrations and high rectal temperatures in cattle eating endophyte-infested fescue hay was determined; however, as the prolactin concentrations approached normal (control animal) concentrations, this relationship between serum prolactin and rectal temperatures was not observed. Two antifungal agents used in this experiment (thiabendazole and ammonia) appeared to have different effects on the variables measured. Thiabendazole had no significant effect on prolactin concentrations or rectal temperatures of cattle ingesting endophyte-infested fescue hay, whereas ammoniation of this hay induced significantly higher (P less than 0.05) prolactin concentrations and lower rectal temperatures than in steers receiving only endophyte-infested fescue hay. Therefore, ammonia may be valuable not only as an aid in determining the cause of the fescue problem but also as a practical solution to some of the fescue-related economic problems in the cattle industry. Also, prolactin concentrations may be valuable in diagnosing fescue-related problems.

Effects of 4-methylimidazole in young calves.

Clinical signs, gross and histologic necropsy findings and dose response curves of 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) were determined in young Holstein calves. Three-day-old Holstein bull calves were given an oral dose of 0,25,50,100,200 or 400 mg 4-MI/kg body weight. Acute clinical signs were hypersalivation, mouth chomping, diarrhea, muscle fasciculations, tremors, hyperexcitability, convulsions, coma and death. Death occurred within 3 hr for calves given the highest dose of 400 mg/kg. Two of 3 calves dosed at 200 mg/kg died within 8 and 3/4 hr of dosing. Only 1 of 3 calves showed mild signs at the 100 mg/kg dose level and no effects were observed at the 50 or 25 mg/kg dose level. Signs due to 4-MI in this experiment were similar to signs observed in calves whose dams were consuming ammoniated hay. No pathological lesions attributable to 4-MI toxicosis were found during gross or microscopic necropsy examination. Blood chemistry values from calves treated with 4-MI were within normal ranges except for potassium, phosphorus and glucose which were elevated (P less than .05) at the time of death for those calves dosed at 400 mg/kg.

Jimson weed seed toxicity in cattle.

A subacute experiment was undertaken for 14 days. The results obtained from these studies suggest that: 1) unless a highly Jimson weed seed contaminated feed is ingested (greater than 0.09% of body weight) or force fed, death should be a rare consequence of Jimson weed seed contamination; 2) Jimson weed seed toxicity in cattle as a result of feed contamination appears a self-limiting problem (rumen atony and anorexia prevent further intoxication until the blood levels of alkaloids are reduced to allow normal ruminant intestinal function); 3) cattle may exhibit signs of atropine toxicity at contamination levels of 881 seed/kg of feed or higher; 4) rumen fluid from heifers fed diet containing 4,408 Jimson weed seed had the greatest VFA concentration change from day 0 to 7; 5) in vitro fermentation of diets resulted in no difference in IVDMD values, but VFA concentration values tended to increase with increased concentrations of Jimson weed seed in the diet.

Effects of xanthene dyes in cattle diets for insect control: diet digestibility and fecal excretion.

The effects of rose bengal, erythrosin B and fluorescein on ruminant digestion were evaluated by an in vitro rumen technique. Rose bengal reduced in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) values starting at .5 mM in the nutrient media and erythrosin B reduced IVDMD values starting at .05 mM in the nutrient media. Maximum reduction in IVDMD values was observed at 3.0 mM of rose bengal and erythrosin B. Fluorescein depressed digestion but not as severely as rose bengal or erythrosin B. Dry matter digestibility (DMD) values for steers given erythrosin B at a daily dosage of 6.5 mg/kg body weight were higher (P less than .05) than DMD values for control steers. DMD values were higher for steers given 16.3 or 26.1 mg erythrosin B/kg body weight daily than for the control steers, but the differences were not significant. There were no significant differences among animals given the different dosages in digestible energy. Recovery of erythrosin B from feces of treated steers varied with time, indicating that steers fed erythrosin B at a dosage of 6.5 mg/kg body weight might excrete feces during some periods of the day which would not control face fly development; however, administration of erythrosin B at a dosage of 16.3 mg/kg body weight would provide enough erythrosin B in feces to control face fly development throughout a 24-h period.