Effects of dietary fluoride ingestion on ration intake and milk production.

The influence of 1-mo ingestion of a ration containing 50, 100, 150, or 200 ppm fluoride (as sodium fluoride) on milk production and ration intake of Holstein cows was studied. The total amount of fluoride administered was mixed into the grain mix and fed twice each day. The concentrations of fluoride in plasma and urine were related to the concentration of fluoride in the ration. There was no effect of fluoride on hay intake, but there was a decrease in intake of the grain mix at an intake of 200 ppm fluoride. The ingestion of 150 or 200 ppm fluoride for 1 mo had a slight adverse effect on milk production. From these results we suggest that rations containing less than 150 ppm fluoride will not influence ration intake or milk production adversely if they are fed for a short time to mature cattle not suffering from other long-term adverse effects of fluoride ingestion.