Effects of Low Chloride Intake on Performance, Clinical Characteristics, and Chloride, Sodium, Potassium, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Dairy Calves

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Abstract
Young male Holstein calves were fed either a control (0.5% Cl) or a low Cl (0.038% Cl) practical diet for 7 wk. Both groups received low Cl (0.00038% Cl) well water. Feeding the low Cl diet did not produce definite clinical symptoms of Cl deficiency. Neither body weight gains, feed intake, feed digestibility nor body retention of Cl, Na, K or N were affected adversely. Although the Cl intake of the low-Cl calves was only 1/16 that of controls, body Cl retention was similar for the 2 groups. The similar retention of body Cl was due to effective homeostatic mechanisms in which urinary Cl excretion was reduced by 95% in the low-Cl calves. Low-Cl calves consumed more water and excreted more urine than control calves. Although the exact minimum Cl requirement for growth in calves was not established, 0.038% Cl was adequate for normal growth for the 7 wk.