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Characterization of Mineral Element Profiles in Animal Waste and Tissues from Cattle Fed Waste. II. Steers Fed Cattle Feedlot Waste

California State Polytechnic Institute, Pomona 91768 and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061

Abstract

Two successive trials were conducted with 56 steers to evaluate the mineral concentration of the cattle waste incorporated into the diet of finishing steers at a level of 16% of the dry matter and the concomitant mineral levels in several tissues. Steers were slaughtered after a 24-h withdrawal and liver, kidney and kidney fat samples were obtained. A 43-mineral-element profile was obtained on all diets, cattle waste and tissues using neutron activation and atomic absorption. No signs of toxicosis were observed in the steers. Differences in average daily gain were inconclusive in both feeding trials. Feed conversion ratios favored steers fed a conventional diet. The ash content of the cattle waste was excessively high (31%), which reduced the caloric density of the experimental diets, impairing performance in one of two trials. Copper was distincly higher in the experimental diet (221 vs 138 ppm, dry basis) due to the inclusion of cattle waste that was high in Cu. However, Cu concentrations in the liver, kidney and fat did not parallel elevated dietary Cu. Cadmium was high for both diets in both trials (7 to 8 ppm, dry basis) and accumulation in all tissues (1.1 to 1.7 ppm) sampled reflected the elevated dietary intake of Cd. Selenium was higher (P<.05) in the liver of waste-fed steers for trial 1 and Pb in the kidney fat was higher (P<.05) in steers fed waste for trial 2. Feeding cattle waste did not increase tissue minerals to levels that would present a serious hazard to the health of humans consuming the tissues.

¹ Formerly, Dept. of Anim. Sci., California State Polytechnic Univ. Present address: College of Agriculture, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

² Dept. of Anim. Sci., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ.