Mineral Supplementation
The Benefits You May Not See
by Caitlin Hebbert
Livestock Consultant
Noble Research Institute
I
t’s no secret that good nutritional management is one of the most
vital contributions to a profitable herd.
Within the realm of cattle nutrition, protein and energy tend to
receive the most hype due to their direct relationships to growth
performance and overall body condition. This hype is rightfully placed
since the first step to a good nutrition program is to identify and meet
protein and energy requirements. The second step involves the lesser-
discussed dark horse of the ruminant nutrition world: minerals.
Much of the discussion surrounding minerals is vague, and
information is more often accepted by producers than is understood
since the world of minerals is complicated and tedious to navigate. As
a result, I often find myself on the receiving end of this conversation:
“Mineral is so expensive and consumption seems to be hit-or-miss.
What will happen if I stop feeding mineral?”
Mineral consumption does indeed vary—from animal to animal as
well as from one month to the next. This is often reflective of changing
mineral content in forage, fortified winter supplements and the
Your Idaho Source
for bulls and females that perform.
MAGS Cable
HB • HP • 50% Lim-Flex
This stout son of MAGS Appleseed is making his mark in our
herd in the most positive of ways. His breed-leading growth,
scrotal, marbling and $MTI mesh well with our solid set of
maternal-oriented females.
ANNUAL BULL SALE
March 4, 2020
Blackfoot, Idaho
Featuring Lim-Flex sons
of MAGS Cable,
CJSL Data Bank,
AHCC Earning Power
and MAGS Aviator
CJSL Data
Bank
HB • HP • 81% Limousin
Our calves out of this curve-bending son of MAGS Anchor
are among our very best. Anchor features breed-leading
EPDs for calving-ease, growth, marbling and $MTI which
makes for progeny worthy of our brand.
WADE, VICKI, SEDAR & DANNA BECKMAN • 233 N. Bassett Rd. • Roberts, Idaho 83444
208/228-3348 • Wade: 208/313-0235 • Sedar: 208/521-4628 • [email protected] • www.beckmanlivestock.com
78
• JANUARY 2020