Mineral and Vitamin Supplementation

Trace minerals and vitamins play crucial roles in the health and productivity of beef cattle.

Deficiencies in essential nutrients are common due to:

• The types of plants available
• Soils low in minerals
• Climate factors
• Stage of maturity of forage

Vitamins:

• Rumen microbes provide cattle with many water-soluble vitamins.
• Fat-soluble vitamins A, K, and E must be taken up through food sources.
• Vitamin D is produced mainly in the skin when exposed to sunlight.

Delivery of trace minerals and vitamins through injectable or feed supplements can have beneficial effects on cows and their calves. The concept of fetal programming suggests that the dam’s nutrition is one component that affects the developing fetus’ future productivity in life, such as carcass traits or reproductive performance of heifers.

>Mineral and Vitamin Supplementation (UC ANR resource)

For more detailed information on trace mineral supplementation in beef cattle watch a UC ANR webinar on the topic: