Introduction
Minerals are an important piece to the cattle herd nutrition puzzle. Supplementation method is important to examine, as mineral supplementation is another cost in maintaining a herd. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of pre-made mineral mixes on the market for cattle producers to purchase. The price of these products falls across a wide range as well. To further complicate things, there is another method of supplementation where minerals in their singular form are provided. Amongst the countless supplementation strategies and products, the most important thing in setting up the herd for success is that a solid vitamin and mineral program is being followed year-round.
Pre-Made Mineral Mixes
Pre-made mineral mixes are available from a variety of retailers and companies. While all these products contain minerals, that does not make them one and the same. Producers may choose certain products based on their goals, feeding methods, environment, and many other factors. Additionally, these products are ready to feed out of the bag, block, or other delivery method with no additional mixing required.
These pre-made mineral products are required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, to have a mineral tag that displays the product and brand name, a purpose statement, the guaranteed analysis, list of ingredients, the directions for use, precautionary statement, and manufacturer or distributor information. Nutrient guarantees are required for calcium, phosphorus, salt (if added), magnesium, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, and vitamin A.
Understanding interactions between minerals will be important in deciding what additional minerals a producer may need included in a product. Copper interacts with molybdenum and sulfur in the body. An elevated sulfur intake can limit copper absorption. This limited absorption can be counteracted by providing higher levels of copper. Feed and water tests can provide producers with insight into minerals provided in feedstuffs and water sources. These results can help select the best product for a specific producer’s situation. Consult with a nutritionist to determine the mineral product that suits your operation’s herd and goals.
Single Mineral Selection
As custom mineral mixes gain popularity amongst cattle producers, so has offering single vitamins and minerals in a buffet style. This system includes having bins that provide cattle with the choice to select the nutrients based on their needs. Examples include calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, copper, etc.
The idea behind this system is that cattle can discern what nutrients they need to ingest to maintain their level of productivity. Cattle are only capable of ‘craving’ one mineral, which is salt. Additionally, cattle are known to select minerals based on their taste rather than if that mineral is required or not. Minerals, such as iron, may be consumed at lower amounts than needed due to their low palatability.
This system can become extremely costly as well. Isolate forms of vitamins and minerals are often very expensive to purchase. Furthermore, the quality of these individual minerals needs to be ensured. Low-quality minerals can end up causing more problems than necessary and be less bioavailable to the animal. Microminerals, such as copper, selenium, zinc, and cobalt, are only required in very small concentrations in the diet. In this system, overdosing on these minerals can become extremely easy, as cattle are granted full access to the minerals in their singular form. This problem can also be seen in macrominerals. Over-supplementation can cause just as many production issues as under-supplementation.
Conclusion
The cattle herd nutrition puzzle has many pieces that complete the picture. Premade mixes are available for purchase with a wide variety of pricing and formulations. Single mineral supplementation may seem like a good idea, but it is not reliable, as cattle only ‘crave’ salt and rely more on the palatability of a product rather than need of a nutrient. While there are countless roads to venture down when it comes to designing a successful mineral supplementation program, the most important thing is following a solid vitamin and mineral program year-round.
