441.

Weerden EJ Van. Reduced availability of iron in diets for fattening calves. Landbouwkundig Tijdschrift. 1973; 85(11):388-394. (NA44) [From, on average, about 50 to 140 kg 5 groups of 4 calves were fattened. The first had a calf milk feed of conventional composition containing abut 10 mg Fe/kg. The second, third and fourth groups had 50 mg/kg Fe added as ferrous sulphate during the first 6 weeks of fattening and 30 mg thereafter. The fifth had 30 mg added throughout. The third group were given also 3000 mg/kg chlorophyll preparation which was 20% pure and the fourth and fifth had a preparation of EDTA corresponding to 230 and 2300 mg/kg of the actual acid. Three Fe balance trials around the beginning, middle and end of fattening and consisting of a main period of 7 days, preceded by from 6 to 7 days of adaptation, showed that retention of the added Fe was reduced somewhat by the chlorophyll and by the low concentration of EDTA and was prevented entirely by the large amount of EDTA. Excretion of Fe was almost entirely in faeces. Testing of Hb every 2 weeks showed that values declined steadily in the first and fifth groups to, on average, 6.7 and 5.8 g/100 ml blood; in the other groups they fell in the first 4 weeks and thereafter remained at, on average, about 11 g. Meat from the first and fifth groups was pale and had a lower pigment content than in the other groups, which also had more Fe in liver than the first and fifth. It was concluded that utilisation of Fe was not clearly affected by the additives, except for the high concentration of EDTA which prevented it completely or almost completely because of its Fe-binding capacity.]

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