Page 11 - MWC 02-04-2021s

Mineral Consumption: The Midwest Cattleman · February 4, 2021 · P11

It Matters! requirements. Lab results will Management Strategies for
help identify deficiencies, toxic- Over-Consumption
Over-consumption of min-
ities, and interactions to ensure
the mineral supplement is pro- eral in the short-term is not of
viding the appropriate level of great concern. Consider wheth-
By Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist nutrients for the situation. Var- er or not cattle have had access
Mineral supplement tags overcome consumption issues. ious factors can influence min- to mineral in the recent past.
provide the recommended daily Forage and water samples can eral consumption including age If mineral was not available
intake based on specific prod- provide valuable information and experience of the animal, for a period of time, cattle may
uct formulations. Recommend- in assessing whether or not the type and placement of mineral over-consume for a short period
ed intakes can vary widely de- mineral supplement comple- feeders, composition of mineral of time to make up for nutrient
pending on the brand and type ments the available forage and supplement, and changing for- deficiencies. If over-consump-
of product, with the most com- water to meet cattle nutrient age quality and availability. continued on page 14
mon being 1 to 4 oz. per day
for loose minerals. Producers
should always read the mineral
tag to know how much the cat-
tle should be consuming and to
help determine if their herd is
actually consuming that recom-
mended intake. There are a va-
riety of ways to accomplish this.
Calculating Mineral
Consumption
For the big picture, calculate
pounds of mineral fed during
the year. Multiply total pounds
fed during the year by 16 to cal-
culate the total ounces deliv-
ered. Divide ounces by 365 days.
Finally, divide ounces delivered
per day by the number of head
in the herd to determine aver-
age mineral intake per head per
day.
Example:
•6,000 lbs of mineral per
year × 16 oz per lb = 96,000
oz
•96,000 oz ÷ 365 days = 263
oz per day
•263 oz per day ÷ 100 head
= 2.63 oz per head per day
Another way to monitor con-
sumption is to keep a record
of mineral delivery. Record the
quantity of mineral delivered
each time and how many days
that quantity lasts. Monitor-
ing this closely will help iden-
tify times when grass quality
changes, which can influence
changes in mineral consump-
tion. For instance, cattle will
consume mineral differently
when grass is lush and growing
rapidly compared to when it is
dormant. The calculation is the
same as outlined above, but the
number of days changes based
on frequency of delivery.
Example:
•150 lbs × 16 oz per lb =
2,400 oz
•2,400 oz ÷ 7 days = 343 oz
per day
•343 oz per day ÷ 100 head
= 3.43 oz per head per day
Once consumption is cal-
culated, management strat-
egies can be implemented to