ARE YOU FEEDING INADEQUATE VITAMINS & MINERALS AND NEED ADVICE?

Every farm is unique and we, at GP Feeds recognise this. We are constantly striving to give our customers helpful information, that we believe will benefit the day to day running of your business.

There are strong links between minerals, vitamins and the majority of dairy cow disorders. These can be caused by deficiencies, excessive amounts, imbalances and interactions between minerals.

The overall health status of the herd is of paramount importance for the economic production of all milk and meat. This health is affected to a greater or lesser degree by the mineral and vitamin status of the animal.

You may be losing money by extra veterinary costs, unnecessary calving difficulties, impared calf growth and milk fever, to name but a few. But this can be controlled.

EFFECTS OF MINERAL AND VITAMINS ON DAIRY COW HEALTH

MINERAL DEFICIENCY RELATED MINERALS Associated Problems
Calcium Milk Fever,
Retained cleansing whites.
Lower DMI
Poor growth and bone structure
Phosphorus
Magnesium - Competes with absorption sites
Molybdenum - Liming crops increases Mo levels in grass due to soil PH

Displaced
Abomasums.
Lower milk yield
Phosphorus Milk Fever.
Poor Energy Use
Poor bone structure
Calcium - Bone structure
Aluminium - forms insoluble complexes
Copper - Phos inhibits grass uptake
Lower milk yields.
Lower DMI
Weak bones
Sodium Poor acid base balance
Reduced DMI
Reduced fluid balance
Potassium - Acid/base balance Udder Odema - heifers
Poor rumen stability
Reduced milk persistency
Reduced growth rates
Potassium Poor Acid Base Balance
Reduced DMI
Poor Nutrient Use
Sodium - Acid Base Balance
Magnesium - Excess Potassium reduces Mag availability.
Milk Fever - Excess K
Udder Odema - Heifers
Reduced milk persistency
Increased metabolic problems
Magnesium Milk fever
Staggers
Extreme Nervousness
Poor stress control
Calcium
Potassium - Reduces Magnesium availability
Grass staggers.
Lower DMI
Copper Retained cleansings
Poor Conception
Early Embryonic death
Poor reproduction
Increased Mastitis.
Suppressed Immune function
Poor energy Use
Sulphur, Iron & Molybdenum - Antagonists that reduce Copper Availability
Zinc - Competes with the absorption sites
Copper Toxicity issues with uncontrolled Copper feeding.
Dangerous for sheep
Zinc Suppressed immune function
Poor Hormone output
Reduced reproductive function
Impaired keratin synthesis- Poor hoof strength and increased mastitis.
Copper - Competes for absorption sites
Calcium - Competes absorption sites
Biotin - foot health
Increased incidence of lameness and high SCC are common with herds with poor Zinc status.
Selenium Reduced ability to withstand stress and disease
Poor Immune function
Retained cleansings
Poor fertility
White muscle disease
Iodine -Work together in Enzyme systems
Vitamin E - Cell antioxidant status
Muscular dystrophy- calves
Vitamin A Reduced Immune function.
Retained cleansings
Poor reproductive performance
Poor night sight/blindness
Increased incidence of mastitic infections
Beta - Carotene - Pro vitamin A  
Vitamin D Reduced Calcium/Phosphorus use
Poor bone/skeletal strength (Rickets)
Calcium/Phosphorus  
Vitamin E Impaired Reproduction.
Increased Retained cleansings
Increased mastitis infections
Poor immune function
Poor health
Selenium - Cell antioxidants White muscle disease

Minerals don't always get the attention they deserve. Yet they are something that affects all farmers and their stock.

We are increasingly being asked to advise about vitamin and mineral inclusion rates and we are finding that some diets offered by many feed Companies, are incorrectly balanced for vitamins and minerals.

Here are a few questions for you to consider:

  • Does your current diet supplier supply adequate vitamins and minerals for the modern high yielding dairy cow?
  • Do you include additional minerals in blends fed to dairy cows?
  • What are the adequate vitamin and mineral levels?
  • Does your present mineral meet all the cow's requirements?

Over the last few years it has become more important to feed adequate minerals and vitamins because:

  • The increase in the use of blends means that the mineral and vitamins in concentrate cannot deliver the cows requirement.
  • Higher milk yield mean higher mineral and vitamins are required.
  • A wider range of home ~grown feeds being used could be short of minerals of have a detrimental effect (e.g selenium and copper)
  • A dramatic decline in cow fertility.
  • Increasing evidence of the role or minerals and vitamins in animal health.

GP FEEDS HAS A RANGE OF PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AND WILL BE PLEASED TO ADVISE.

We specialise in making a customised minerals, to complement what you are feeding to your stock already.

Our agents will look at what is currently going into your feed and what your individual herds requirement is and then alongside Dr Andrew Pine, we can then formulate a unique Mineral /Vitamin package just for your farm.

PLEASE PHONE THE OFFICE ON: 01948 661602 OR YOUR LOCAL AGENT

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