September 3, 2020

 

US researchers studying industrial hemp as cattle feed

 

Kansas State University researchers are studying the use of buds from industrial hemp plants for use as cattle feed, KSN News reported.

 

Hans Coetzee, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine professor and head of the anatomy and physiology department said hemp products are currently prohibited from being fed to livestock because of there are no studies on cannabinoid drug residues accumulating in meat and milk.

 

A 2018 Farm Bill legalised growing hemp in the United States but under license. There is interest in utilising industrial hemp as an alternative agricultural commodity such as livestock feed.

 

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture provided a US$200,000 grant to Kansas State University researchers to study cannabinoids concentration in livestock after being exposed to industrial hemp.

 

Michael Kleinhenz, the other veterinary researcher working with Coetzee said hemp byproducts such as leaves, fodder and residual plant fibres are unused after harvest, and could be used as livestock feed as it is cellulose-containing plant materials. It is ideal as cattle feed.

 

The researchers are studying if hemp byproducts can be used as feed without causing intoxication in livestock or if other bioactive cannabinoids are detected in the animal. Previous research only looked into humans, mice and swine.

 

Kleinhenz said cattle are able to consume industrial hemp byproducts because their rumens can digest cellulose plant materials.

 

The study has found that the rumen can readily absorb some cannabinoids. Next, the researchers will need to look at the tissue and milk residue depletion profiles of these compounds following livestock feeding experiments. Cattle cannabinoids effects are not known.

 

Pilot studies to examine the effect of feeding hemp on livestock behavior and immune function will be conducted.

 

Kleinhenz said the research data will help producers manage intentional or unintentional hemp exposures to livestock until they can determine if hemp is safe for animals.

 

KSN News