Characterization of Mineral Element Profiles in Animal Waste and Tissues from Cattle Fed Animal Waste. I. Heifers Fed Broiler Litter

A 201-d feeding trial was conducted with 36 weanling heifer calves to determine the effect of feeding broiler litter ensiled with corn forage on mineral element levels in different tissues. Carcass quality and organoleptic characteristics of the meat were also measured. After a 24-h withdrawal, heifers were slaughtered and samples of 9-10-11th-rib longissimus muscle, external rib fat, liver and kidney were taken. A 43-element profile was obtained on feedstuffs and all tissues sampled by neutron activation and atomic absorption spectroscopy. No signs of toxicity or impaired performance were observed in the heifers. Copper (593 ppm) and As (75.9 ppm) levels Were high in broiler litter, compared with other diet components. Higher (P<.01) liver Cu reflected high dietary Cu intakes in litter-fed heifers. Arsenic in the kidney and external rib fat was higher (P<.05) in litter-fed heifers. Bromine was lower (P<.05) in liver, kidney, muscle and external fat of litter-fed heifers. No differences were found in carcass quality and organoleptic characteristics of the meat from heifers fed broiler litter or soybean meal as a supplemental N source. It appears that the modest increase in tissue levels of certain elements in cattle fed broiler litter would not present a serious hazard to the health of humans consuming the edible tissue.