Under the hood of a pickup lies an assembly of metal , its details often forgotten – until the motor breaks down . All that ’ s left is a vehicle that can no longer do its job . Mineral nutrition in cattle is kind of like that . Hidden beneath the hide , minerals act behind the scenes to maintain general function . When cattle can ’ t access all the minerals they need reproduction rates drop , tissue growth diminishes and illness sets in .
That ’ s why mineral supplementation underpins any cattle operation .
Breaking It Down
“ Every biological process in cattle involves minerals ,” Stephanie Hansen said at the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association “ Minerals 101 ” webinar in July .
Everything . Of course that includes health , feed efficiency and reproduction .
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Less obvious ? “ Things like marbling , ribeye area development and muscle fiber type ,” the Iowa State University feedlot nutritionist explained .
Topping off the minerals helps all functions , but quality beef starts with the cow .
“ The dam ’ s nutrition program can have huge effects on carcass quality or heifer reproduction in the future ,” said Jeff Heldt , beef technical services manager at Micronutrients , in a later interview . “ The healthier the cow when bred , the higher chance her calf will realize its potential .” That only gets more important in the following months . “ In the last third of gestation , that fetal liver is accumulating trace minerals that meet its basic mineral needs for the first three to six months of age ,” Hansen said . “ Beef-cow milk is low in trace minerals , so newborns have to pull from nutrients stored in their liver .”