Mineral Nutrution of Dairy Cattle1
MAJOR MINERALS AND VITAMINS
Considerable research has been done to establish the mineral needs of high producers and to define the role of minerals in nutritional biochemistry. Table 2 shows the current levels of the major or macro minerals recommended for dairy cattle rations.TRACE MINERALS AND VITAMINS
The addition of trace minerals and certain vitamins to dairy cattle rations is usually considered to be good nutritional insurance. However, the question arises: which trace minerals to add and how much of each. The trace minerals deserving some consideration as possible additions to dairy rations are shown in Table 3.Trace minerals are needed by the dairy animal in very small quantities (parts per million). For this reason, salt is commonly used as a carrier for all the trace minerals.Trace minerals should not be added to dairy rations indiscriminately. Many rations will contain adequate levels with or without their addition. If a trace mineral problem is suspected, examine the situation carefully and make appropriate adjustments in the mineral mixture. Too much of a particular mineral could further antagonize the situation.Vitamins deserving consideration under Florida conditions are vitamins A, D and E. A 1400 lb cow consuming 40 lbs of dry matter daily needs about 65,000 USP units of vitamin A, 18,000 units of Vitamin D and 280 units of vitamin E. Dry cows should receive about 50 to 100,000 units or more of vitamin A per day when green forage is not available and 20,000 units or more per cow per day if green forage is available.Certain stress factors, such as hot climate, nitrate in feeds, disease, and lactation may increase the vitamin A requirements of the animal. In order to avoid a vitamin A deficiency in reproduction, the dairy ration should provide from 40,000 to 80,000 USP units of vitamin A. Some dairymen feed little vitamin A during the green forage feeding period and about 100,000 to 150,000 units per cow during hot weather.Tables
Table 1. Mineral supplements and their mineral composition.
| Supplement |
Ca (%) |
Phos (%) |
K (%) |
Mg (%) |
S (%) |
Na (%) |
| Calcium carbonate |
38.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Limestone, ground |
33.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Oyster shell flour |
33.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Tricalcium phosphate |
38.0 |
18.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Monocalcium phosphate |
20.0 |
21.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Deflourinated phosphate |
32.0 |
18.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Dicalcium phosphate |
26.0 |
18.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Disodium phosphate |
--- |
21.6 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Salt (NaCl) |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
39.3 |
| Steamed bone meal |
28.0 |
14.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Sodium bicarbonate |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
27.4 |
| Diammonium phosphate* |
--- |
20.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Monoammonium phosphate** |
--- |
24.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Monosodium phosphate |
--- |
25.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Sodium Tripoly phosphate |
--- |
25.6 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Biofos |
18.0 |
21.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Dyna-K |
--- |
--- |
50.5 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Dynafos*** |
22.0 |
18.5 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Dynamate |
--- |
--- |
18.5 |
11.6 |
22.3 |
--- |
| Dufos (Diammonium phosphate) |
--- |
20.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Dikal 21*** |
19.0 |
21.0 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Magnesium oxide |
--- |
--- |
--- |
60.0 |
--- |
--- |
| Potassium chloride |
--- |
--- |
52.4 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| *Compound contains 18.0% nitrogen or 112.5 protein equivalent. |
||||||
| **Monoammonium phosphate (monofos) contains 68.75% protein equivalent (11% nitrogen). |
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| ***Trade names of products available in abundance in Florida. |
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Table 2. Major mineral and vitamin content recommended in ration for high producers (dry matter basis).
Mineral |
Current Desirable in Rations (%) |
NRC 1988 (%) |
| Calcium |
0.65-0.80 |
.65 |
| PHosphorus |
0.42-0.50 |
.42 |
| Magnesium |
0.28-0.35 |
.25 |
| Potassium* |
1.00-1.50 |
1.00 |
| Sulfur |
0.20-0.25 |
.20 |
| Sodium* |
0.40-0.67 |
.18 |
| Vitamin A |
1400-2000 IU/lb |
1450 IU/lb |
| Vitamin D |
450-500 IU/lb |
450 IU/lb |
| Vitamin E |
7-10 IU/lb |
7 IU/lb |
| *Recent studies at Florida showed an increased need for potassium (K) and sodium (Na) during hot weather or stress periods. The highest level of milk production was obtained when the total ration dry matter contained about 1.5% K and 0.67% Na. |
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Table 3. Suggested trace mineral content of rations (DM) for lactating dairy cattle (NRC-1988).
Mineral |
Approx. Ration Concentration (Dry Basis) |
| Iron |
50.0 ppm |
| Manganese |
40.0 ppm |
| Copper |
10.0 ppm |
| Zinc |
40.0 ppm |
| Cobalt |
0.1 ppm |
| Iodine |
0.6 ppm |
| Selenium |
0.3 ppm |
Footnotes
1. This document is DS41, one of a series of the Animal Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date August 1992. Reviewed June 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Professor, Dairy Science Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions
that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
For more information on obtaining other extension publications,
contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
