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Farm Animals at Risk:
High levels of nitrate in
livestock feed and drinking water can result in reduced vitality and increased
stillbirth, low birth weight, and slow weight gain and even death of the animals
affected. Chronic
nitrate poisoning is correlated with abortions, still births and stunted
calves. Abortion is attributed to maternal and fetal methemoglobinemia resulting
in fetal anoxia (particularly in the last trimester of pregnancy). More
recently, unpublished data indicates serum progesterone is reduced in chronic
nitrate toxicosis in cattle and, possibly, horses. Chronic nitrate toxicosis
causes loss of condition, loss of weight, reduced milk production and weakness.
For information on Nitrate Toxicity in
Ruminants (Newsletter Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, Purdue)
http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2001/winter/nitrate_tox.shtml
Also see:
Table
of Nitrate Units used in Ag Reporting (PDF)
NECi sells Nitrate Test Kits
for
Livestock Feed Nitrate Test Kits (LF-NTK) |
