Mineral Deficiencies

25.5.3 Mineral Deficiencies General principles: Soils may be deficient in some essential minerals. Animals eating forages from these soils may also become deficient in the same minerals. In tropical areas, the soil is often deficient in phosphorous. Sometimes minerals are present in the soil, but they are not in a form that can be used by the animal. In some areas, the soil has been analyzed to know what deficiencies it has.

Warning! Shopkeepers often try to sell unnecessary vitamin and mineral supplements, particularly injections, since farmers often believe that injections are more effective than something given in the mouth is. Injections of most vitamins and minerals last for only a short time. They may be useful to get animals with severe deficiency signs started back to health. However it is almost always less expensive and better over long time periods to provide vitamins and minerals as part of an animal’s regular diet.

Often the more important problem is that the animal lacks energy and protein. This problem will not be solved by an injection! Instead the animal needs more food that has energy and protein! Once this problem is solved, a chronic mineral deficiency can be solved, not by injections, but by feeding a local source of minerals.

What to do? Before spending money on expensive mineral mixes, do the following:

Treating & preventing mineral deficiencies 1. Seek advice from a competent and trustworthy person familiar with the area.

2. Feed local inexpensive sources of minerals. Do not buy expensive injections!

69 Seek advice from a trustworthy person who knows about livestock nutrition (and possibly human nutrition) and is not employed by a company selling mineral mixes.

Try to obtain information from the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the types of soil in your particular area, and any known mineral deficiencies.

Seek local, inexpensive sources of minerals that can be fed to the animal. Remember, most mineral deficiencies do not require expensive injections!

Exception: Specific deficiencies require emergency injections in order to save an animal's life, such as calcium deficiency after giving birth. See Milk Fever, pages 148, 270.

Preventing Mineral Deficiencies The following mineral mixes are not expensive and help prevent deficiencies. Feeding these mixtures may be especially beneficial for growing animals, pregnant and milking females.

Mineral mixes may be fed “free choice,” or mixed in appropriate amounts in the grain or silage, if animals are fed these feeds frequently. “Free choice” means that the animal can eat it anytime according to its own “free choice.” Animals receiving minerals free choice have fewer problems with mineral deficiencies or excesses. Mineral mixes should be placed in boxes or other containers, available to the animal, but protected from the rain. When feeding minerals “free choice”, fresh water should always be available.

Animals given minerals and water “free choice” have fewer problems with mineral deficiencies or excesses.

70 1. “Trace mineralized salt“ In areas where mineral deficiencies are common, it may be worthwhile to feed “trace mineralized salt.” This salt has various minerals, including iodine, added to it, but usually does not include phosphorus and calcium. This special salt is sometimes available from the government livestock services at a very reasonable price. Trace mineralized salt, iodized salt, or plain salt should be fed regularly at a rate of one-half kg per 100 kg of food; or it can be given “free choice.” Don't forget to give plenty of water at the same time!

2. “Make it yourself” mineral mixes The following mineral-mixes, which may be made at home, may be useful - especially if phosphorus deficiencies are suspected. The following mixtures can be made at home and fed to livestock to reduce mineral deficiency problems.

Mix #1 (Best): - 1 part de-fluorinated rock phosphate - 2 parts crushed bones (or steamed bone meal)

- 2 parts iodized (or trace mineralized) salt Mix #2 (Better): - 1 part bone meal - 1 part iodized, trace mineralized or regular salt Mix #3 (Good): - 1 part iodized, trace mineralized or regular salt - 4 parts wood ash Of the three mixes above, number one is the best; number two is the second best; and number three is third best. However, number three is easy to make and it is better than not feeding any minerals at all.

 In areas where no minerals are available, wood ashes can be mixed in the feed at a rate of one spoonful (five ml) per 40 kg body weight, per day. Be careful not to use ashes from trees that are known to be poisonous.