How can I best meet the mineral requirements of my beef herd? It comes as no surprise that the answer to this question is not a simple one. There are many factors impacting the mineral requirements of beef cattle such as stage of production, age, body condition and genetics, which are further compounded by the bioavailability of the mineral source provided and any antagonists that may be present in the diet.
Regional variations in the trace mineral content of forages and soils creates high-risk areas where trace mineral deficiencies are more likely to occur. Supplemental sources need to be provided to prevent production declines, animal health events or reproductive wrecks.
Recently published data from work led by Dr. Cheryl Waldner with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, SK, showed 64% of mature beef cows in Western Canada and 59% of mature beef cows in Eastern Canada have less than adequate copper status. This is based on data collected in 2019.
“One of the trends we saw with the copper data was that it looked a bit more regional in the younger cows, but when we looked at the mature cows, the extent of the problem across the country became really apparent,” Dr. Waldner explains. "If you are a cow-calf producer in Canada, you need to worry about copper supplementation in your herd regardless of your location.”
Dr. Van Mitchell and his team at Metzger Veterinary Services in Ontario performed trace mineral screening tests in 2023 on calves coming into Ontario feedlots. They found that 56% of calves sourced from Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) were marginal or deficient in copper. This is compared to 33% of Ontario calves falling in the same category.
“Generally, for copper deficient cattle, we attribute this to poor forage quality, little to no mineral intake or high sulfate or molybdenum in the diet,” he explains.
Dr. Andrew Acton with Deep South Animal Clinic in Ogema, SK, says copper deficiency is the most common one he has observed through his practice and notes it can also be one of the hardest to correct.