Minerals and vitamins

How many minerals are there that are essential to life?

-17

which 3 vitamins are essential in ruminatns?

• A

• D

• E

what are the 7 macrominerals and state them from most to least amount in the diet

1. Ca

2. P

3. Mg

4. K

5. Na + Cl

6. S

state the 7 microminerals and state them in most to least needed in diet

1. Fe

2. Cu

3. Zn

4. Mn

5. Se

6. Co

7. I

what do we call it when an animal has:

1. too little of a nutrient

2. not quite too little or too much but not optimal

3. too much

1. deficiency

2. marginal

3. toxicity

what do high dietary cations inhibit in ruminants?

• Ca mobilisation

why are ruminants more prone to mineral problems?

• because of what we feed them we can’t guarantee the nutritional composition of every piece of grass

what does high dietary K inhibit? Therefore what should their ratio be?

1. Mg absorption

2. <6:1 K:Mg

what can high levels of S inhibit?

• Se absorption

what inhibits Ca absorption therefore what should their ratio be?

• P

• 2:1, Ca:P

what does a high calcium intake implicate?

• increases molybdenium uptake

• lowering Mn, Zn, Cu and Co

• reduced Mg absorption

what does iron in the diet affect?

• reduces manganese availability if >2.5:1

what do goitrogens affect?

• impair iodine uptake

how do we rectify goitrogen affect on iodine?

• increase iodine supply

what are vit E and selenium?

• interdependent

what does a selenium deficiency lead to?

• iodine deficiency

what does copper compete with?

• Cadmium, iron and zinc in the intestines

what combination of 3 elements causes copper to become unavailable?

• copper

• sulphur

• iron

what are the 2 steps of copper issues due to S and molybdenum?

1. sulphur + molybdenum → thiomolybdate

2. thiomolybdate attracts copper in rumen causing it to become unavailable

3. ideally thiomolybdate is excreted in faeces

if there’s not enough copper in the rumen for thiomolybdenate, what then happens?

• it enters the blood and interferes with biological copper → thiomolybdate toxicity

what is thiomolybdate toxicity

• selenium and molbydenum join together

• when there’s not enough copper in the rumen, thiomolybedate uses biological copper

what are vitamins?

• organic compounds required in small quantities for normal growth and maintenance of normal life

what are pro-vitamins/vitamin precursors?

• the form in which many vitamins are consumed as the non-active dietary form which undergoes a change to function as the vitamin

what are the fat soluble vitamins (5)

1. A

2. D2

3. D3

4. E

5. K

what are the water soluble vitamins?

• C

• B

how many B vitamins are there?

• 10

• 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,12

which B vitamins are important for ruminants?

• B1

• B12

what species is vitamin C important in?

• guinea pigs

How do we get a B1 deficiency due to sulphur toxicity?

1. prolonged ingestion of high S

2. elevated rumen sulphide conc destroys microbial B1

3. functional B1 production is halted, promoted by pH drop and low fibre diets

4. increased thiaminase-producing bacteria, contributing to ^

5. B1 deficiency disrupts enzymes in the E metabolism pathway

what affect does a B1 deficiency have?

• damage to superficial brain tissue due to glucose metabolism being altered

• blindness, mal-coordination, lethargy, seizures

what in the diet can contribute to sulphur toxicity?

• high concentrate, low roughage diet

• lush grass

• SARA

• sudden anorexia in caves

• changes from grazing to concentrate in sheep

• bracken fern in the diet

outline vitamin B12 production

1. cobalt is ingested in the diet

2. rumen microbes use it to synthesise B12

3. B12 absorbed and transferred to blood, stored in liver/muscles/secreted inmilk

when assessing a ‘mineral’ problem, what steps do we want to take?

assess

1. DMI

2. energy

3. protein

4. water

5. health

6. parasitees

then finally

7. minerals

why may we assess a ‘mineral’ problem

• clinical

• performance/production

• sales

what are the 4 steps of a mineral audit

1. full range analysis

2. animal analysis

3. corrective action

4. continued monitoring of animal analysis

what do we input into a mineral audit aka what information do we ened?

1. establish the supply of all minerals from all areas of the diet

2. get a comprehensive history

what do we include in the mineral supply when completing an audit

1. forage/pasture/silage/conc/premix

2. supplements

3. water

4. soil for grazers

why can’t we use mineral analysis in isolation?

1. seasonal and weather associated changes

2. animals selectively graze

3. soil isn’t a substitute

what must we remember when sampling pasture for analysis

1. seasonal changes

2. minerals aren’t uniformly distributed throughout sward

how do we sample conserved forage for analysis?

• representatively

• from several cm deeper than the surface

• pool samples from multiple bales/several places

what are some concerns with forage reports?

• parameters can be misleading

• compare to content averages not requirements

• high Fe or Al may indicate contamination

• Cu bioavailability calcs may not be appropriate

although mineral reports give us concentration why is this not wholly reliable?

• doesn’t tell us about bioavailability

how can we assess the mineral status in an adult?

1. routinely taking bloods

2. using urine

3. liver biopsy + PM collection

4. establish animal status

when may the following samples be useful?

1. blood serum/plasma

2. enzyme function

3. liver conc

4. urine

1. deficiency detection

2. marginal microminerals

3. accumulation and depletion

4. dietary supply/excess not deficiency

what is the best corrective option for mineral issues

A balanced TMR

why don’t we want to give free-access minerals?

• consumed erratically

whilst TMR is being implicated, what can we give immediately to animals to help?

• drenches

• injections

• boluses

• withdrawing supplementation

what is the supplementation cycle?

1. routinely check ration

2. use bloods to indicate short-term status, liver for longer-term and randomly select animals from each management group

3. supplement based on results and can trail on some animals

4. routinely check copper status and productivity is correct/in the right direction

how do we confirm selenium deficiency?

• blood analysis of GSHPx

• plasma Se

• and Ck = creatine phosphokinase

with a vitamin E deficiency, therefore affecting Se, how do teh muscles appear differently on post mortem?

• pale and discoloured

• white streaks in muscle bundles = fibrosis due to calcification and immune infiltration after muscle damage

what is vitamin E deficiency known as?

• nutritional myodegeneration

what roles do vitamin E and Se both play?

• antioxidant

clinical signs of vitamin E deficiency in calves?

• tachycardic

• tachypnoeic

• placid and quiet

• quiet heart sounds

• salivation/discharge

• trembles

• conscious

• proprioceptive ataxia

• wobbly

• adducted stance

why is cobalt usually an issue in lambs during august/

high seasonal fall in august

• lambs have a 2x greater requriement of Co than ewes due to growing requirementsif

if a farmer is struggling with pasture being dry, what can we recommend to supplement/feed the animals?

• TREES

  • plant them, they provide good nutrients, especially willow!

if we see lambs licking soil/licking gates, what is this usually a sign of?

• P and Co issuesw

what is buffet feeding, is it legal?

• putting pots of individual minerals out suggesting sheep will manage their requriements

• it is illegal