Mineral nutrition is an integral element in beef cattle production, impacting growth, reproduction and milk production as well as animal health and immunity.
Selecting the ideal mineral supplement depends on your geographic region, forage system and cattle production stage. Ideally, a suitable mineral supplement should be provided year-round with salt, macro minerals and trace elements.
Contents
Calcium
Calcium is an essential mineral for beef cattle, aiding in bone development and muscle function.
Cattle typically get their calcium needs met through forage intake, however supplemental calcium may be necessary to guarantee adequate levels are maintained.
Phosphorus is essential for proper regulation of metabolism and maintains a strong immune system, with any shortage leading to various illnesses like milk fever.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a key nutrient for beef cattle, helping with bone formation, health and reproduction as well as growth, feed efficiency, milk production and coat color.
Phosphate is essential for immunity, immunity, and a healthy gut. A lack of phosphorus in the diet can lead to poor growth, decreased appetite, and lower resistance against diseases.
Phosphate (phosphorus) is essential to our diet in three forms: orthophosphate/phosphates, condensed phosphates and organic phosphorus. The latter can come from either naturally occurring sources or through fertilizers.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral in cattle production, aiding nerve and muscle function, immune system function and bone health.
Animals contain magnesium in approximately 60% of their bones and 39% of body tissues. Furthermore, magnesium can be found in blood and extracellular fluids.
Calcium is necessary in the bloodstream for normal calcium metabolism and its absence can lead to secondary hypocalcemia, with symptoms including excitability, twitching of muscles, uncoordinated walking gait, convulsion or death.
Manganese
Manganese is an essential mineral for beef cattle. It works as a cofactor for enzymes involved in fat metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and energy production.
As an antioxidant, Vitamin E plays a vital role in cattle health. It supports healthy bones and teeth as well as reproductive performance.
Studies have demonstrated that a manganese deficiency can lead to anemia, grass tetany and mineral metabolic disorders in bone tissue. Feeding manganese salts or supplementing with manganese helps prevent these issues from arising in cattle.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is an essential mineral for beef cattle. It’s found in various foods like legumes (like chickpeas and pinto beans), meat, fish, poultry eggs wheat flour cereal grain brown rice sunflower seeds.
Molybdenum is essential to several enzymes that support various body processes. Some individuals may require taking a molybdenum supplement in order to get enough of this mineral.
Nickel
Nickel is an essential mineral for beef cattle, working together with their immune system and reproductive processes.
Cattle need not only macrominerals, but also ten microminerals: chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum nickel selenium zinc.
Beef cattle require specific amounts of minerals, which are expressed on labels as either parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Cattle that do not meet their mineral needs can experience a range of health and performance issues.
Cobalt
Cobalt is an essential mineral needed by cattle for proper growth and production. It aids the production of vitamin B12, while being utilized by rumen microbes in the creation of propionate – a valuable source of energy.
The amount of cobalt available for animals to absorb from the soil is determined by many factors, including rainfall. Excessive rain can leach cobalt out of the topsoil and lead to deficiency in pasture.
