Include Vitamins in Cattle’s Nutritional Program
Stephen B. Blezinger, Ph.D, PAS
Cattle Today
Part 1
In the past we have reviewed the necessity of various nutrients in cattle diets. In this issue and the one to come we’ll take a more in-depth look at the need for vitamins in the nutritional programs for cattle. It seems that in our day-to-day living we are constantly bombarded with the need for one type of nutritional supplement or another in our diets. Much of this marketing focuses on the various vitamin supplements that are available.
Like people, cattle require vitamins in their diets. It is very common to find vitamins added to mineral supplements as well as feeds of various types. Generally we find fairly high levels of vitamins added simply because they are fairly inexpensive and can therefore be used as “tag-dressing.” But the question becomes: “which vitamins do cattle really need and at what levels.” Hopefully the following will shed some light on these questions.
The Beef Blog 