Effects of dietary feeding of organocadmium to cattle and sheep

Adult cattle and sheep were fed a cadmium fungicide, Cadminate, in the diet at levels of 50, 100, 200, 300, and 500 ppm of cadmium. The cattle study continued for 49 weeks and the sheep study for 41 weeks. The toxic effects included abortions, dead or short-lived calves and lambs, and birth defects. The animals fed cadmium at levels greater than 200 ppm in feed developed anemia as detected by decreased RBC counts, decreased PCV, and lowered Hb levels. Greatest residues of cadmium were in the kidney and liver of both cattle and sheep. In sheep there was a significant difference in feed conversion efficiency due to the level of cadmium in feed. Cadmium, fed as Cadminate in feed, is detrimental to both cattle and sheep.