Farm406

27 farm406 inerals are extremely important in beef cattle production. There are four broad functions: structural, physiological, catalytic, and hormonal or regulatory. These functions cover a magnitude of processes including bone and muscle formation, membrane permeability, nerve function, blood clotting, DNA and RNA formation, enzymes, and hormone formation. Due to the importance of minerals, mineral supplements should be available at all times to all classes of cattle. Grazing cattle consume some minerals through forages. However, as forages mature, mineral concentrations are reduced and additional mineral supplementation may be needed to meet requirements. Requirements are located in Table 1. Mineral supplementation become especially important during times of drought when forages mature rapidly or there is minimal green-up. Mineral concentrations in forages and grains may vary depending on location and soil type, therefore, a mineral analysis on these dietary ingredients will aid in determining if mineral requirements are being met. Knowing these concentrations of the feed ingredients Mineral Supplements in Beef Cattle Production Megan Van Emon Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Montana State University Table 1. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle Mineral Calcium Chromium Cobalt Copper Iodine Iron Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Nickel Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Sodium Sulfur Zinc Units % ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm % ppm ppm ppm % % ppm % % ppm Gestating 0.21 — 0.15 10.00 0.50 50.00 0.12 40.00 — — 0.15 0.60 0.10 0.06-0.08 0.15 30.00 0.30 — 0.15 10.00 0.50 50.00 0.20 40.00 — — 0.19 0.70 0.10 0.10 0.15 30.00 — 25.00 40.00 50.00 500.00 0.40 1000.00 5.00 50.00 2.00 5.00 — 0.30-0.50 500.00 Early Lactation Maximum Tolerable Concentration Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle 7th and 8th Revised Editions, 1996 and 2016, respectively. M

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