Ammonia toxicity is a threat to cattle that overconsume soybeans.

November 4, 2019

2 Min Read
NDSU soybean2.jpg
Grazing on unharvested soybeans can pose a health risk to cattle.NDSU photo

Producers should not introduce hungry cattle to unharvested soybean fields, according to a North Dakota State University (NDSU) extension livestock specialist.

“Ammonia toxicity is a threat to cattle that overconsume soybeans,” said Karl Hoppe, livestock systems specialist at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center. “Whether it’s a pile of harvested soybeans lying on the ground or an unharvested soybean field where cows have unlimited access, eating too many soybeans can lead to dead cattle.”

Ammonia toxicity has been seen in cows that found a pile of harvested soybeans and gorged themselves. Consumption of a large amount of whole soybeans and an active rumen, combined with the urease enzyme in soybeans, can lead to more ammonia production than the rumen microbes normally can use, Hoppe said. Excess ammonia spills into the bloodstream, causing death.

“If you catch the toxicosis early enough, you can drench the cow with 1-2 gal. of vinegar (5% acetic acid) to change the ammonia to ammonium,” Hoppe said. “The ammonium ion won’t leave the rumen. Unfortunately, most producers don’t find the animal soon enough and don’t have enough vinegar on hand to deal with an outbreak.”

Cows can consume small amounts (2-4 lb.) of soybeans per day as part of a balanced ration, Hoppe said. This would provide additional protein to the ration. After 4 lb. of soybeans in a mature cow ration, the oil content of the ration starts to interfere with digestion by the rumen microbes, he added, noting that when the oil content of the ration gets above 7-8%, the oil becomes toxic to rumen microbes.

Plus, when cows eat soybeans, they are eating the bean pod and stems. If the cows consume too much, ammonia toxicosis will lead to tremors, and the cows will lie down and die, the NDSU announcement said. Treatment is generally unsuccessful.

The unknown is how many soybeans a cow will eat if she gets into an unharvested soybean field. If grass or corn stover is available, the cow might limit her soybean consumption.

“I usually associate raw soybean overload with death and would not recommend any grazing of a soybean field,” said Michelle Mostrom, a toxicologist in the NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Source: North Dakota State University, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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