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farm406 28 can also aid in determining which mineral supplement is needed. There are numerous mineral supplements available for beef cattle and knowing which supplement will meet the requirements of livestock and be cost effective will aid in the decision-making process. An additional consideration with mineral supplements is the source of minerals included. There are inorganic and organic sources of trace minerals that are included in mineral supplements. Inorganic trace mineral sources, which include sulfates or oxides, are effect mineral sources, but are typically less available to the animal. Organic trace mineral sources, which are complexed with a protein or amino acid, are usually more available to the animal because they are not tied up within the rumen. Organic minerals are more expensive than inorganic sources, so some supplements include both organic and inorganic trace mineral sources. Research conducted on the impacts of mineral supplementation during late gestation on offspring performance has indicated that calves from cows supplemented with an organic trace mineral source were heavier at weaning compared to calves from cows that were not supplemented with trace minerals (Marques et al., 2015). Trace minerals are extremely important to fetal and calf development and the calf relies on the cow during gestation to receive adequate mineral concentrations. Minerals are one of the most expensive feed ingredients and are included in the least amounts of the diet for your cattle herd. However, they are included in the essential processes of life. Therefore, mineral supplementation at all times is needed to maintain beef cattle production.

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