Critical Timing for Trace Mineral Status
The old adage of “Timing Is Everything” is very true when it comes to weaning. Often the timing of management interventions do not line up perfectly with the biology of the animal. I have heard many people say weaning success is all about having the right weather. If the weather changes to cold and wet right after weaning, most likely we will have more health issues. Weather can be a big factor, but the real issue is the stress of weaning occurs at the lowest point of trace mineral status for our calves.
Liver is the main mineral storage organ for cattle. Mother Nature has a way of taking care of the next generation. If the cow is well supplemented during pregnancy she will transfer trace minerals to the developing fetus and the calf will be born with liver levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) that are in excess of the maternal liver levels. However, these calf mineral stores are often depleted by the time weaning occurs. Figure 1 shows the Cu and Zn status of calves at birth, 56 days and weaning.
Adapted from Branum 1999.
Drawing Down The Reserve
Building Up the Reserves Has Not Happened by Weaning
This is where the TIMING of the calf’s biology and management intervention do not match. What has the diet of the calf been since birth? Milk and grass! Both are poor source of Cu, Zn and Se, which helps explain the continue decline in status from birth to weaning. Selenium status was studied by Davis et al. (2005) using blood selenium of the calf. As with Cu and Zn, the Se status of the newborn calf was adequate at birth, marginal by 30 days and low to deficient by weaning if the cows were receiving Se supplementation from injectable Se or a mineral with sodium selenite.
At the most stressful time in the calf’s life, we remove them from their mother, place them in a new environment, introduce a new feeding situation and often co-mingle them with other calves all while they are at their lowest trace mineral status since birth. Preventing clinical disease is a balance between challenge level and resistance level. At weaning the challenges can be overwhelming and every effort must be made to keep the resistance level as high as possible.
Brigade® Stress Fighter is a unique formula that is highly fortified with chelated trace minerals, vitamins including B vitamins and electrolytes. Formulation of the supplement and source of the trace minerals are very important. At this stressful time, we want a nutrient dense formula with trace mineral sources that are highly available. Consumption is relatively low so each and every lick really counts. Another way to use CRYSTALYX® Self Fed Supplements as a management tool is to introduce the barrels to the calves a few weeks prior to weaning. That way the CRYSTALYX® barrel can be one familiar thing for the calves in the weaning pen, much like a security blanket that our children will take when they go off to preschool.
Good luck this weaning season and if you’re using Brigade®, let the weather do what it will.
