Ranchers on average pay around $1,000 per ton for their mineral supplementation program, which equates to about $35 per head per year. Given the costs of these mineral supplements – and the multitude of options available – it is imperative to choose the right minerals that will deliver their desired nutritional benefits.
What goes into your mineral supplementation program?
Mineral supplementation programs are designed to help balance the macro and micro mineral requirements of cattle. Macro minerals include calcium, phosphorous, etc., while micro mineral requirements include trace minerals and vitamins. Mineral supplementation programs can also function as delivery methods for feed additives – including probiotics, yeast, yeast cultures, etc. – that may be used to enhance production or reduce losses.
In recent years, the industry has learned that the source of ingredients utilized in mineral supplementation programs can have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the additives supplied in the mineral and the production results of the animal. The first issue encountered is the source of trace minerals included in the mix and what they are doing for the animal.
In many cattle operations, the micro mineral requirements – namely trace minerals – tend to get more attention than macro mineral requirements when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of the mineral supplementation program. Therefore, here are five performance qualities to keep in mind when selecting the trace mineral components for a mineral supplementation program: mineral absorption, feed stability, leaching, consumption and forage utilization.
Mineral absorption
Feeding a trace mineral source that has low solubility in the rumen is an important part to the efficacy of a successful mineral supplementation program. This characteristic allows for the mineral to be more effectively utilized in biological processes (i.e., enzymatic activity) or storage.
Inorganic trace minerals, specifically sulfates, are popular choices by many ranchers primarily due to their relatively low cost. However, these mineral forms are held together with weak ionic bonds that tend to solubilize rapidly in the mineral feeder or in the rumen. There are a large number of antagonists (iron, sulfur, molybdenum, etc.) that exist in the rumen, which can impact mineral absorption.
Fortunately, several improved sources of trace minerals now exist. Hydroxychloride trace minerals and organic trace minerals (i.e., amino acid complexes, proteinates, etc.) are mineral sources that contain strong covalent bonds to resist antagonisms in the rumen. This in turn helps provide greater bioavailability for mineral absorption in the small intestine and helps improve the trace mineral status of the animal for health and production purposes (growth, reproduction, lactation).
Feed stability
Vitamin nutrition is also important for animal productivity. However, sulfate sources of trace minerals can act as powerful prooxidants within the mineral supplement. Based on the results of research trials – though many of them were on poultry diets – it can be hypothesized that the source of trace minerals can degrade the stability of vitamins within the mineral mix.
Like trace minerals, not all sources of vitamins are the same, and the results from one source to another may vary. Other factors such as temperature, moisture, pH, carrier ingredients, humidity, storage time and feed processing methods can all affect vitamin stability.
Sulfate forms of trace minerals can also potentially damage valuable feed additives like enzymes or probiotics. Phytase is widely used in non-ruminant nutrition to hydrolyze phytate P and thus provide available phosphorous to the animal.
Leaching
It is important that ranchers never overlook the effect that weather events can have on free-choice minerals. Many commercial feed manufacturers utilize weatherization techniques to help reduce losses due to leaching as the result of inclement weather.
Studies have demonstrated that after a 4-inch simulated precipitation event, equally distributed over three days, total copper, zinc and manganese losses were less (P<.001) for hydroxychloride sources than for sulfate and organic trace mineral sources. To further compound the issue, there was more loss from zinc and manganese sources than from copper sources.
These data not only suggest that the amount of actual mineral consumed per ounce of free-choice mineral is less, but that the formulated ratios (i.e., zinc: copper) are impacted as well.
Consumption
If the investment is made to feed a high-quality, free-choice mineral that incorporates a feed additive for anaplasmosis control or fly control, the last thing you want to worry about is consumption. The University of Florida has demonstrated that the source of trace minerals can impact consumption.
In a preference study utilizing early-weaned calves fed a protein/energy supplement in meal form, researchers concluded that when given a choice, calves almost exclusively (82 percent) prefer hydroxychloride sources of trace minerals compared to sulfates or organic trace minerals. A follow-up study demonstrated that in a salt-based, free-choice mineral, consumption was higher when hydroxychloride trace minerals were the source compared to the sulfate and organic sources.
Forage utilization
Finally, the goal of any grazing program is to maximize the use of the available forage. Therefore, whatever ranchers feed should not inhibit the ability of bacteria in the rumen to digest the basal diet.
Recently, Iowa State University researchers determined that the source of trace minerals could have an impact on diet digestibility. The results of their study showed that sulfate sources of trace minerals reduced DM disappearance (P=.03), whereas hydroxychloride sources and the untreated control showed no negative impact.
Take time to evaluate your mineral investment
When evaluating a supplemental mineral program, trace mineral source cannot only impact the animal, but can also impact other key components within that program. Trace mineral forms that are highly water soluble and rumen soluble, such as sulfates, may have a negative impact on rumen function, consumption, mineral losses and feed stability. Therefore, if improved sources of trace minerals are used, they may offer much more than just improved bioavailability.
When it comes to mineral supplementation, keep in mind that not all mineral sources are created equally. Making the extra investment on a better source of trace minerals will provide significant paybacks in the end. 
References omitted but are available upon request. Click here to email an editor.
Dr. Jeff Heldt has nearly 20 years of experience in cattle nutrition. He received his bachelor’s degree in animal science at the University of Wyoming, and holds a master’s from South Dakota State University and a Ph.D. from Kansas State University. A Nebraska native, Heldt spent time as a feedlot and ranch manager in Nebraska, and currently serves as president of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Research and Education Foundation and is a member of the Nebraska Cattlemen Scottsbluff Affiliate. Heldt is also the ruminant business development manager for Micronutrients USA based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
PHOTO: Feeding a trace mineral source that has low solubility in the rumen helps build a successful mineral supplementation program. Staff photo.
