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Cupric Oxide Needles for Grazing Cattle Consuming Low-Copper, High-Molybdenum Forage and High-Sulfate Water^1,2,

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2N2

Abstract

Oxidized copper wire, commonly referred to as copper oxide needles (CuO_N), was evaluated using purebred Hereford cows and their calves. Thirty-seven cows were allocated to Cu treatments of 0, 25 or 50 g CuO_N (79.9% Cu in CuO_N) with 12, 12 and 13 cows per treatment, respectively; calves within cow treatments were allocated to treatment of 0 and 20 g CuO_N. Single oral doses of CuOn were given at the start of a grazing trial that lasted 92 d. Cows and calves were weighed and blood samples were taken on d 0, 28, 63 and 92; liver biopsies were taken on d 0, 28 and 92 of the grazing trial. Cattle were consuming grass forage with mean concentrations on d 0, 28, 63 and 92 of the grazing trial ranging from 1.6 to 5.5 mg/kg DM for Cu, 2.5 to 5.5 mg/kg DM for Mo and 1.3 to 1.5 g/kg DM for total S. The water consumed by cattle contained 947 mg sulfate per liter (SE = 13.2, n = 4). Body weight of cows and calves was not influenced (P > .05) by CuO_N. Liver Cu was higher (P < .01) in treated cows and calves but was not different (P > .05) between cows dosed with 25 or 50 g CuO_N. Treatment of cows and calves with CuO_N had no influence (P > .05) on the concentration of Fe or Mo in liver or plasma, the concentration of Cu and ceruloplasmin activity in plasma, or the concentration of Zn in liver. Plasma Zn did not differ (P > .05) in cows, but it was higher (P < .05) in the calves suckling cows treated with CuO_N. It was concluded that dosing cows and calves with CuOn resulted in a higher Cu content of liver but did not adversely influence the metabolism of Fe or Zn or modify the concentration of Mo in the plasma or liver of cows or calves.

¹ Dept. of Anim. Sci.

² The cattle were owned by A. and G. Gryba of Grandview, Manitoba. Funding was provided by Agri-Food, the Canada-Manitoba Economic Regional Development Agreement and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

³ Present address: Shur-Gain Division, Canada Packers Inc., James Street, South, St. Mary's, Ontario, N0M 2V0.

⁴ Manitoba Agriculture, 27-2nd Avenue S. W., Dauphin, Manitoba, R7W 2E5.