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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #76538
Title: COMPARISON OF SULFURIC ACID WITH HYDROCHLORIC ACID AS A SOURCE OF ACIDIFYING ANIONS

Author
item Goff, Jesse
item Horst, Ronald

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Addition of anions to prepartal rations of dairy cows has proven to be a useful means of reducing dietary cation-anion difference and reducing the incidence of milk fever. We have previously presented data demonstrating that hydrochloric acid is an effective source of anions in dry cow rations. Sulfuric acid, being less volatile than hydrochloric acid, would be easier to handle than hydrochloric acid if it proved to be an effective source of dietary anions. The effectiveness of sulfuric acid was compared with that of hydrochloric acid in non-lactating, non-pregnant Jersey cows. Cows were fed 1, 1.5, or 2 Eq of either sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid mixed with an alfalfa hay-corn gluten feed ration for 5-d periods. Urine samples were collected on the third, fourth, and fifth days of feeding the acids for determination of urine pH. The average of the urine pH values for each animal was used at each dose of each acid. The slope of the regression line of urine pH vs equivalents of acid for animals receiving hydrochloric acid was 3-fold greater than for sulfuric acid. At 2 Eq of sulfuric acid, urine pH was 7.54 + .23 vs 6.24 + .08 for cows fed the hydrochloric acid. Adding equal amounts of hydrogen ion from sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid did not result in equal changes in urine pH.