Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Summer 1994 (Vol. 26, No. 1)

Trace minerals are essential to maintain high fertility in beef and dairy herds. Fertility is 10 times more important for cow-calf producers than size, growth rate and feed efficiency and 20 times more important than the quality and yield of the carcass. Dairy producers lose $2 to $5 per day per cow for each day a cow is open after 100 days post-calving. Feeding trace mineral salt maintains high herd fertility.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Winter 1993 (Vol. 25, No. 2)

More than any other nutrient, factors such as species, source, mineral interactions and stress are important in determining an animal’s copper requirements. Recommended copper supplementation levels for one species may be toxic to another.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Summer 1993 (Vol. 25, No. 1)

Chromium is an essential nutrient for livestock and poultry. It is an active factor in glucose tolerance, a constituent of the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). Chromium enhances the immune system as well. Even more important than the amount of the chromium supplement is the form of chromium which significantly affects its bioavailability.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Winter 1992 (Vol. 24, No. 1)

Magnesium deficiency, known as grass tetany, is a classic case of the benefit-cost advantage of feeding trace mineral salt. Grass tetany at clinical levels affects 1% of all cattle and, of those, one-third die. In a 100-cow herd, preventing the loss of a single cow every three years would more than pay the costs of supplementation. Feeding trace mineral salt eliminates the productivity losses of animals with sub-clinical deficiency.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.
Salt Institute
Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter
Summer 1992 (Vol. 24, No. 2)

Grazing ruminants seldom display clinical deficiency symptoms. Recent studies have shown that even marginal trace mineral deficiencies produce sub-clinical deficiencies that depress growth, reproduction and the immune system. Even analysis of nutrients in forage cannot always predict nutritional sufficiency.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.
Salt Institute
Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter
Winter 1991 (Vol. 23, No. 1)

For years it was assumed that energy was the first limiting nutrient for growing cattle grazing alfalfa and immature grasses, but recent studies with grazing cattle have shown a performance response to protein supplementation even when the crude protein concentration of the forage is above NSC requirements. Salt can be used to manipulate the animals’ intake of the supplement.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Summer 1991 (Vol. 23, No. 2)

Copper toxicity in sheep is more often a problem of nutritional management than excess copper intake. Producers need to consider nutrient interactions, animal management and environmental conditions that may increase the risk of copper toxicity

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Spring 1990 (Vol. 22, No. 2)

Modern animal nutritionists understand the necessity of knowing the approximate bioavailability of fed nutrients, the portion that is absorbed and used by tissues to perform biological functions. It includes both absorption and utilization. Bioavailability is not static. It varies by species, physiologic state, chemical form, solubility, chelates and dietary factors. This article is a checklist for producers.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Fall 1989 (Vol. 22, No. 1)

Trace mineralized salt is essential to maintaining the health of the animal by allowing for maximum immune response.

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Fall/Winter 1988 (Vol. 21, No. 2)

The value of trace mineral salt is enormous, but often overlooked. This article discusses how to determine the benefits of TM salt. It concludes that sub-clinical deficiencies often reduce fertility and production making the few centers per head per year cost of trace mineral salt a bargain.