BEEF COW MANAGEMENT - PREBREEDING: Trace mineral supplementation
During calving, the cow loses a third of her trace mineral reserves through transfer to the calf, the placenta/afterbirth and the amniotic fluid.
The sooner these trace minerals are replenished after calving, the smaller the chance of a trace mineral gap arising during the breeding season - especially at the beginning of the breeding season. Figure 1 shows the effect of an injectable trace mineral supplement in the critical times (pre-calving and pre-breeding) on the liver's copper status. The drop in copper levels after calving is limited and the levels recover more quickly after the pre-breeding supplement to have significantly higher levels at the start of the breeding season.
Figure 1. Deliver copper levels after strategic Multimin supplementation
A trace mineral supplementation program should be twofold in nature:
- Oral - must be provided on a daily basis through licks to meet the minimum daily maintenance requirement of cows.
- Injectable - which is provided before the start of critical times in the production cycle (such as pre-breeding) when there is an increased need for trace minerals. This lowers the chance of developing a trace mineral gap.
Supplementation of trace minerals by means of an injectable supplement (Multimin Se+Cu+Cr Cattle) before the breeding season can lead to:
- fewer early embryo resorptions
- improved pregnancy percentage - less dry cows
- more cows conceiving earlier in the breeding season - fewer "open days" after calving, resulting in a more compact calving season
- positive (shorter) intercalving period
The ideal time for the pre-breeding supplement (Multimin Se , Cu, Cr Cattle & Pro Vit A) is 4-6 weeks before the start of the breeding season. If this supplementation is combined with the pre-breeding vaccinations, it reduces handling and improve vaccine responses.
