HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kline, E. A. Articles by Ham, W. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kline, E. A. Articles by Ham, W. E.

Effect of Adding Drugs to the Ration of Fattening Cattle¹

State College of Washington

Abstract

Feeding arsenic trioxide, nux vomica or thiouracil under the conditions of this experiment, resulted in a higher efficiency of feed utilization, and a lowered feeding cost. The best results were obtained by the addition of thiouracil when fed at a level of 0.2 percent, to the grain ration. The inclusion of the thiouracil in the grain mixture caused a decrease in grain consumption and an increase in the roughage consumption. The decrease in grain consumption was probably due to thiouraeil reducing the palatability of grain mixture. During a 27-day thiouracil depletion period, the proportion of grain and roughage consumption became almost identical to that of the control lot of heifers. The rate and efficiency of gain of the arsenic trioxide lot of heifers declined very sharply during the same depletion period, while the nux vomica lot of heifers continued with satisfactory gains. The efficiency of feed utilization, however, was greatly lowered. The appetites of all the animals in each lot remained very good.

All three drugs increased the rate of gain most markedly during the first month of the feeding trials.

Addition of any of the drugs to the grain ration did not affect the hair coast as measured by length, weight, density and luster.

Daily temperature, prevelant in these trials, had no effect upon the rate of gain of the cattle receiving thiouracil.

The thyroid glands of the yearling heifers, fed thiouracil for 201 days, were 2.3 times larger than the thyroids of the control heifers. No marked pathology was noted; however, there tended to be a decrease in colloid content of the glands of the heifers fed thiouracil.

Although a larger number of animals should be studied, there was no evidence that any of the drugs at the levels fed had any effect on rate of conception or reproduction.

The difference in dressing percentages of the various lots was not statistically significant. The drugs had no effect on carcass quality or grade of yearling heifers during a long feeding period. However, during a short feeding period, the carcass grade of two-year-old heifers appeared to be slightly increased by the addition of thiouracil to the ration.

¹ Published as Scientific Paper No. 800, College of Agriculture and Agricultural Experiment Station, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, State College of Washington, Pullman, Washington.

² Division of Animal Husbandry, Dr. R. W. Dougherty, College of Veterinary Medicine performed the biopsy sampling. This work was supported in part by grant funds from the Carstens Packing Company, Tacoma, Washington.