Wheat pasture poisoning. I. An evaluation of cereal pastures as related to tetany in beef cows.

Forage samples were obtained from three wheat and rye mixed pastures (replications) from December 1979, to April 1980 (140 d), while they were being grazed by mature cows at the Southwestern Livestock and Forage Research Station, El Reno, Oklahoma. These samples were taken three times during December, twice monthly in January and February and weekly in March and April. Samples were analyzed for dry matter, ash, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, ash alkalinity, aconitic, malic and citric acids, total lipids, NO3-N, Na and total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC). In vitro digestibility was also determined. The N:TNC ratio, estimated plasma Mg levels and K:(Ca + Mg) ratio (tetany ratio) were calculated. On d 105 (March 19), 16% (five of 32 head) of the cows developed tetany. At tetany, the forage K, protein, digestibility, ash alkalinity, aconitic acid and total lipids increased suddenly and markedly. Forage dry matter, TNC and ash decreased. Forage Ca and Mg were slightly below or equal to the animals' requirements and remained relatively constant during the period of tetany. Forage P increased about 2 wk before tetany and decreased after tetany occurred. The levels of forage NO3-N and Na did not appear to be related to the incidence of tetany. The N:TNC ratios exceeded .4 immediately before tetany and two sampling periods thereafter. The estimated plasma Mg levels were lowest at tetany and shortly thereafter and tetany ratio exceeded 2.2 during most of the study, with peaks of 3.2 in December, at tetany and in early April.