Effect of a High Salt Intake on the Digestibility of Ration Constituents and on Nitrogen, Sodium, and Chloride Retention by Steers and Wethers

Abstract

Digestion and balance trials were conducted with steers and wethers fed normal and high-salt rations. High salt intake did not significantly affect the digestibility of components of rations fed to steers. It decreased the digestibility of organic matter and nitrogen-free extract by wethers. There was a slight but non-significant decrease in nitrogen retention in both species. Feeding the high level of salt resulted in a small but significant increase in the retention of sodium and chloride in both steers and wethers. Nearly all (87 percent for the steers and 94 percent for the wethers) of the ingested sodium and 98 percent of the chlorides were excreted in the urine.