Effect of the polyether antibiotic "monensin" on fattening and slaughtering performance as well as protein and energy retention in bulls

In an individual feeding experiment (150-500 kg live weight) the influence of the polyether antibiotic Monensin on the fattening, slaughtering and retention performances of crossbreeding dairy bulls (genotype 31) and fattening hybrids (genotype 61) was ascertained. The supplementation of the polyether antibiotic on average resulted in a decrease by approximately equal to 11% of the dry matter and energy expenditure per kg weight gain due to a lower feed intake and a higher live weight gain. The slaughtering parameter investigated and the chemical composition of the empty body remained uninfluenced. The daily nutrient retention values were positively influenced by the Monensin supplementation since the fattening bulls of the test group required 30 days less to achieve the attempted fattening weight. The additional retention of protein, fat and energy per animal and day in the dairy bulls approximately equal to 10.9; 13.5 and 16.4% and in the fattening hybrids 1.9; 3.2 and 2.6%. Due to a higher energy retention at a lower level of feed and energy intake after Monensin supplementation an average of approximately equal to 11.3 and 15.4% resp. more of the consumed digestible protein and the digestible energy resp. were retained in the empty bodies. One can conclude that Monensin improved the utilisation of feed energy; obviously the effect of the polyether antibiotic is due to its influence on processes in the rumen or directly or indirectly on metabolism.     

ION EXCHANGE IN SOILS FROM THE ION PAIRS K–Ca,K–Rb,AND K–Na1

Isotopic exchange of ⁴³K, ²⁴Na, ⁸⁶Rb, and ⁴⁵Ca was used to measure the equilibria between some arable soils and mixed chloride solutions of the ion pairs, K–Ca, K–Rb, and K–Na; the results were interpreted by a thermodynamic treatment of the exchange isotherm (Gaines and Thomas, 1953). The cation exchange capacities of the soils were not constant for the three ion pairs and decreased appreciably with K-saturation in the K–Ca systems because Ca ions were trapped inside the interlayer spaces. That soils preferred K to Na in the K–Na systems and Rb to K in the K–Rb systems, was explained in terms of the standard free-energy changes of the exchange reactions. The activity coefficients of the adsorbed ions, f, changed with K-saturation differently for the three ion pairs: fNa and fCa decreased continuously with increasing K-saturation whereas fRb remained almost constant. However, with increasing K-saturation, fK increased in the K–Na systems, remained unchanged in the K–Rb systems, and first increased and then decreased in the K–Ca systems. These changes are interpreted in terms of the effect of the various ions on the interlayer space of 2 : 1 type clay minerals and the possible distribution of adsorbed ions between the Gouy and Stern layers.