November 6, 2019

Cattle that overconsume soybeans can suffer from ammonia toxicity, says US university

A North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension livestock specialist said these affect cattle that overconsume harvested or unharvested soybeans, reported NDSU Agriculture Communication.

Karl Hoppe, livestock systems specialist, NDSU's Carrington Research Extension Centre said the ammonia toxicity is caused from an active rumen, combined with the urease enzyme in soybeans, leading to more ammonia production than the rumen microbes can use normally.

This surplus ammonia will enter the cattle's bloodstream with fatal consequences.

He added that if the toxicosis is discovered early, the affected cattle can be drenched with one to two gallons of vinegar (5% acetic acid) to convert the ammonia to ammonium.

However, this is the best case scenario, and many producers do not discover the animal in time or have enough vinegar supply to manage an outbreak.

As part of a balanced ration, cattle can consume between 2 to 4 pounds (about 1 to 2 kg) of soybeans, providing extra protein to normal feeds. Above this consumption in mature cattle, it becomes toxic.

Michelle Mostrom, toxicologist, NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory said she would not recommend cattle to graze in a soybean field freely, associating raw soybean overconsumption with death.

- NDSU Agriculture Communication