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| Pass the zinc please (December 2005) |
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Are your livestock getting all the minerals they need? K.C. Olson, Extension specialist with the University of Missouri has some advice. “Nearly all animals need supplemental trace minerals, particularly copper, zinc, and selenium,” he states. “Look for supplements that use sulfate salts—copper sulfate for example. Sulfates are more readily available to the animal. Also look for a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of about 2:1. Check with your local Extension agent for mineral needs unique to your area.”
How to feed
Blocks are an easy way to provide supplemental trace minerals. “But because of the hardness of the block,” Olson cautions, “it may take a lot of effort for an animal to consume the recommended amount of minerals it needs each day. The best way to assure adequate trace-mineral consumption is to mix an appropriate loose mineral supplement into the animal’s grain. Free choice supplementation with loose trace minerals also works, but loose supplements do not withstand weathering as well as those in block form. Livestock do crave salt, making white salt blocks an excellent way to fulfill your animal’s salt needs.”
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