MANAGEMENT OF BEEF CALVES: WEANING - Trace mineral supplementation

During stressful conditions, adrenaline/cortisol is secreted which can put the immune system of calves under pressure. This can lead to the calves getting sick more easily. Trace minerals play an extremely important role in the maintenance of the immune system and to prevent the potential damage of oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a condition that arises when an imbalance develops between the formation of damage-causing free radicals (a natural process that accelerates during stressful conditions), and the formation of antioxidants that must keep free radicals in check. Many of these antioxidants are trace mineral dependent.

The supplementation of injectable trace minerals during vaccination has been shown to increase the effectiveness of vaccines. To launch an immune reaction, there is an increased demand for certain proteins that require trace minerals (so-called "acute phase proteins"). It is therefore critical that calves receives with pre-weaning vaccination or at least 4-6 weeks before weaning, a proven injectable trace mineral supplementation. An simultaneous effective dose of Vit A & E is recommended, as Vit A works synergistically with zink and Vit E with selenium. An injectable trace mineral supplement can also facilitate the adaptation in the feedlot, resulting in fewer sick calves and better growth.

The importance of trace minerals and the benefits they can bring are discussed in a supplementary article.

The articles in the "management" series only aim to bring home the most important aspects of the production stage under discussion. If more in-depth information about a specific aspect is to be obtained, feel free to check whether there are other articles available under "related" articles.

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