Interpreting Your Mineral Tag (Page 2) - Beef Cattle Nutrition and Feeding

Interpreting the Active Ingredient

Most Common

Chlortetracycline (CTC)
• Increased rate of gain and feed efficiency
     - 70 mg/hd/d
• Shipping fever complex
     - 350 mg/hd/d
• Anaplasmosis
    - 0.5 mg/lb BW
• Fescue Toxicosis ??
• Foot Rot (not labeled, feedyard observations suggest benefit)

Interpreting the Active Ingredient

Most Common - Ionophores

- Bovatec (lasalocid)
• Increased rate of gain
- 200 mg/hd/d

- Rumensin (monensin)
   • Few formulas designed for free choice feeding
   • Increased rate of gain
        - Up to 200 mg/hd/d
   • Not labeled but helps control bloat

Interpreting the Active Ingredient

• Most Common – Fly Control
     - Altosid (IGR)
     - Rabon

     - Bloat Guard (poloxalene)

• Found in blocks to prevent bloat on dense legume and small grain pasture.

What is the expected intake of this mineral?

Before interpreting the guaranteed analysis, you need to know how much mineral is expected to be consumed. Intake generally ranges from 2 to 6 ounces with 4 ounces being most common.

Photo of beef cattle mineral label, or tag. Intake generally ranges from 2 to 6 ounces with 4 ounces being most common.

Is the mineral content sufficient to correct deficiencies when consumed at the labeled intake?

Photo of beef cattle mineral label, or tag.

Interpreting the Guaranteed Analysis

	Level You Need 4 oz intake	% Requirement, 1,100 lb lactating cow
Calcium (%)	12	80
Phosphorus (%)	6-8	45 to 60
Potassium (%)	0	--
Magnesium (%)	10 to 12 (tetany season only)	50%
Sulfur (%)	0-3	--

Interpreting the Guaranteed Analysis

	Level You Need 4 oz intake	% Requirement, 1,100 lb lactating cow
Iron	0	--
Manganese	2000 ppm 0.2 %	50
Iodine	50 ppm 0.005%	100
Cobalt	15 ppm 0.0015%	150

Take a look at the ingredients statement and ask yourself "Are the ingredients good sources of minerals?"

Photo of beef cattle mineral label, or tag.

Interpreting the Ingredients

• Just because the mineral isn’t listed under guaranteed analysis doesn’t mean it isn’t added.

- You may find it listed as a feed ingredient, but you won’t be able to tell how much is in there.

• Ingredients to AVOID

- Copper Oxide

• Poorly available source of copper

- Iron Oxide (should be used for coloring only)

• Guaranteed Analysis of Iron from Iron Oxide doesn’t represent what’s available to the animal.

Interpreting the Ingredients

What about chelated (organic) type minerals?

- Cost more
- More available to the animal
- May not enhance production despite higher levels of mineral in tissue

Interpreting the Ingredients

Non mineral-specific ingredients

- Fillers (take up the volume not filled by mineral sources)
- Flavoring agents
- Mineral or other oils
- “Rumen Modifiers”
Yeasts, seaweed extract
- Vitamins (fat and water soluble)
A, D and E are the most common

Trace Mineralized Salt Block Label
This is a tag of a trace mineralized block.

Photo of beef cattle mineral label, or tag.

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Beef Cattle Nutrition and Feeding Visual Learning Center Interpreting Your Mineral Tag

Beef Cattle Nutrition and Feeding
Visual Learning Center
Interpreting Your Mineral Tag