Feeds for dairy cows
Mineral Nutrition
Current drought situation in some states may lead to damage to the soil structure which 'd reduce the ability of the roots to absorb nutrients from the soil. This may lead to lower mineral levels.Minerals and vitamins are involved in all core body
functions, including metabolism, reproduction and cellular repair. A deficiency or toxic level of any mineral will potentially compromise a number of metabolic functions.
As forage is a significant proportion of the diet, it is vital to understand its mineral content. Most of the tests and analysis have shown real high Iron content in most of the forage crops, Iron not only is toxic at higher levels may also antagonise action and inhibit absorption of other important minerals like Copper and Manganese, making these less available to animal. Just feeding off the shelf mineral mixture may do more harm than good. Forage and ingredients should be analyzed for mineral content and supplementation should be planned as per these results only. The form of supplement is also very important. The aim must be to understand the specific
problem and then to target supplementation with the most cost effective solution.
For example, if iron and molybdenum are blocking up copper, it is more important to feed the organic, more bio available of copper than just to increase the level fed.
