Mineral Status of Cattle in the San Carlos Region of Costa Rica

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Abstract
Experiments (2) were conducted on 12 beef and 9 dairy cattle farms to determine the mineral status of grazing cattle in the San Carlos region of Costa Rica by evaluating concentrations of minerals in liver, plasma, bone ash, forages and oxalate contents of forages. Cu (< 75 ppm) and Co (< .07 ppm) in liver, and P (< 4.5 mg/100 ml) and Mg (< 1.8 mg/100 ml) of plasma were borderline to deficient on 1, 3, 12 and 5 beef cattle farms, respectively. Of livers, 23 and 27% were borderline to deficient in Cu and Co, Fe (< 180 ppm), Zn (< 84 ppm), and Mn (< 6 ppm) in liver were lower than normal for 63, 16 and 44%, respectively, of the animals. In dairy cattle, 10 samples of blood and 1-2 of forage were collected on each of 5 farms with and 4 farms without the forage Setaria sphacelata. Ca (0.29%) and P (0.18%) concentrations in forage were low in relation to requirements of lactating dairy cows. P in plasma was deficient (< 4.5 mg/100 ml) on all farms. Oxalate percentages were higher in Setaria pastures (2.30%) than in other pastures (1.24%). Low Ca and P in forage and high oxalate in Setaria pastures may be responsible for the high incidence of a milk fever-like condition in dairy cattle.