Publication Date
1989
Description
Hypomagnesaemia continues to cause serious economic losses in grazing livestock and recent evidence suggests that its incidence may be increasing. The disease is characterised by a drop in the concentration of magnesium in extracellular fluid and occurs in two forms, chronic and acute. Both forms give rise to classical clinical symptoms which may either result in death or drastically reduced levels of production. The body does not contain a major source of labile magnesium nor does it have a homeostatic mechanism for controlling the level of magnesium in extracellular fluid. The maintainance of normal levels therefore depends almost entirely on an adequate and continuous absorption of magnesium from the gut. Anything which adversely affects this supply will predispose the animal to hypo-magnesaemia. Although there are many prophylactic measures available, the most effective preventative measure remains the supply of an adequate and continuous intake of available magnesium to the animal. This often poses considerable difficulties with grazing animals when herbage magnesium or herbage intake levels may be low and concentrate magnesium supplements may not be readily available or acceptable. The certain way to ensure an adequate intake in these circumstances is to provide herbage with an inherantly higher concentration of magnesium. A breeding programme with Italian ryegrass resulted in the selection of a high magnesium cultivar which, when fed to sheep indoors, showed higher magnesium intake and availability (Moseley and Griffiths, 1984)Jhe work described here is an evaluation of a further selection from this material for its efficacy in preventing hypomagnesaemia in lactating sheep under grazing conditions.
Citation
Moseley, G; Baker, D M.; and Hides, D H., "The Efficacy of a High Magnesium Italian Ryegrass Cultivar in Alleviating Hypomagnesamia" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 49.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3b/49
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Efficacy of a High Magnesium Italian Ryegrass Cultivar in Alleviating Hypomagnesamia
Hypomagnesaemia continues to cause serious economic losses in grazing livestock and recent evidence suggests that its incidence may be increasing. The disease is characterised by a drop in the concentration of magnesium in extracellular fluid and occurs in two forms, chronic and acute. Both forms give rise to classical clinical symptoms which may either result in death or drastically reduced levels of production. The body does not contain a major source of labile magnesium nor does it have a homeostatic mechanism for controlling the level of magnesium in extracellular fluid. The maintainance of normal levels therefore depends almost entirely on an adequate and continuous absorption of magnesium from the gut. Anything which adversely affects this supply will predispose the animal to hypo-magnesaemia. Although there are many prophylactic measures available, the most effective preventative measure remains the supply of an adequate and continuous intake of available magnesium to the animal. This often poses considerable difficulties with grazing animals when herbage magnesium or herbage intake levels may be low and concentrate magnesium supplements may not be readily available or acceptable. The certain way to ensure an adequate intake in these circumstances is to provide herbage with an inherantly higher concentration of magnesium. A breeding programme with Italian ryegrass resulted in the selection of a high magnesium cultivar which, when fed to sheep indoors, showed higher magnesium intake and availability (Moseley and Griffiths, 1984)Jhe work described here is an evaluation of a further selection from this material for its efficacy in preventing hypomagnesaemia in lactating sheep under grazing conditions.
