Feed & Nutrition

When it comes to trace mineral supplementation for cattle, there is an abundance of information and research to consider. Here are five minerals myths that have been debunked to distinguish fact from fiction.

It was a cowboy’s worst nightmare. Pen after pen of lethargic cattle. Feed intake down by 50 percent. Skyrocketing pulls. Even heavy 1,300-pound cattle heading to the hospital pen in higher-than-normal numbers.

A tremendous benefit of cattle is their ability to convert a wide range of feedstuffs into edible products for humans. This is very evident in the growing or backgrounding component of the industry, where it seems variation and creativity are the norm.

Feed is one of the big expenses in cow-calf production, so applying economics to the nutrition plan usually produces a positive response to ranch profits.

The greatest demand for nutrients (above and beyond maintenance requirements for normal body function) is during lactation.

As an extension specialist and a nutritionist, I get a couple calls a week from folks who ask, “Hey Doc, will you throw together a ration for me?”