ing. If the forages are dormant we can defi nitely have some mineral defi ciencies, but typically the pro- ducer is providing a high-quality, appropriately balanced free-choice vitamin and mineral mix. “Usually between that and the
forages, and maybe a little bit of an occasional protein supplement, the bulls are consuming all the vitamins and minerals they need,” Banta says.
Mineral geography The mineral mix changes with
the local grasses. In much of East Texas, a high-calcium, low-phos- phorus mineral is the typical base package, while West Texas and South Texas ranchers with native grasses may use a mineral with a 1:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio. The drought may create some
imbalances that are not addressed with feedstuffs. For instance, dis- tillers grains and corn gluten feed can have high phosphorus levels but inadequate calcium, and more calcium may need to be supplement- ed when feeding drought-reduced forage. Banta says, “That’s especially
important on bulls because if we have a calcium/phosphorus ratio out of line, we can develop urinary calculi in bulls, a condition similar to kidney stones in people. “We really don’t see that problem
in cows because of the size of their urethras, but those stones can form in bulls and be a big problem.” One other nutrient that may be
reduced in drought stricken forage is potassium. Banta says potassium has not been shown to have an im- pact on bull reproduction, but lack of it in the diet of growing animals may slow their growth rates. Banta also recommends pro- ducers provide their bulls a year-
tscra.org
round, free-choice supplementation program, as opposed to boosting supplements ahead of the breed- ing season. He explains, “There are some
people who have seen some inject- able products and they think, ‘This is kind of the silver bullet. I want to give it X number of days before the breeding season.’ There are a lot of claims made for those products that have not been substantiated, especially in bulls, so I caution pro- ducers to move into those situations slowly. There’s no evidence to show it’s benefi cial and it actually has been shown to be — not in bulls, but in cows — detrimental in cer- tain situations.” Banta also recommends against
random testing of bulls for trace mineral levels. “There’s no easy way to tell if you have a slight mineral defi ciency in bulls or other cattle,” he says. “The key is buying the supplement from a company that has a good nutritionist on staff so they do a good job of formulating that mineral based on what we know the requirements of animals to be and what the typical diet is. If the mineral is formulated for 4 ounces of intake a day and that’s what the bulls and cows are eat- ing, then you’re usually in pretty good shape.” There is some animal-to-animal
variation in the ability to take up minerals or other nutrients, but it doesn’t cause much of an impact from a production standpoint. In many cases, Banta says the animal’s own processes will take over. If it’s short of a mineral it will absorb more from its diet. If its supply is too rich it will absorb less. For the most part, cattle will pull
what they need from body stores if they’re not getting enough of a mineral in the diet. Zinc, however,
is an exception. “That’s one of the reasons we like to pay more atten- tion to it, especially in bulls,” he says. “Since it’s not stored in the animal very well, we need to have a consistent supply in the diet.” Banta says, “One of the big chal-
lenges of mineral supplements is when you look at the tag, you can have 2 minerals that look identical as far as the concentrations, like copper, zinc or calcium. When we talk about the trace minerals, there are different sources from which that mineral can come. Some of the [sources make the trace mineral] ex- tremely available to the animal and the animal can hardly absorb any [trace mineral from other sources]. “Unfortunately, many times
the sources that make the mineral less available to the animal are the cheaper sources and that’s what some of the feed companies, which aren’t as experienced with minerals, may put in the mix.” He stresses the importance of us-
ing supplements from a well-known company with a nutritionist on staff or hiring a nutritionist to formulate your own mineral package.
October 2013 The Cattleman 95
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