Nutritional preference of dry pregnant dairy cows for natrophilic pasture of varying metal concentration

specifically for forage sodium altered by sodium supply to pasture, but not in relation to the other major metals in forage which are also affected by Na supply. Furthermore, the responses were observed only for Na application rates lower than 65 kg Na/ha/yr and lactating dairy cows were used. Pregnancy increase the physiological sodium requirement and the presence of the foetus is known to physically restricts voluntary DMI of cows when the need is greatest. In two experiments during the present study, variations in metallic cation