Mineral Supplementation of Beef Cattle in the Bolivian Tropics

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Abstract
A 338-d experiment was designed to determine the mineral status of grazing beef cattle in the Beni region of Bolivia. A total of 1,766 steer and female 12- to 15-mo-old Zebu-Criollo crossbred cattle were assigned to three treatments: (1) control, no minerals (C), (2) common salt only (S) and (3) salt (60%) + bone phosphate (40%; S + BP). Injections of Se-vitamin E, Cu, I and Co bullets were administered singly and in all possible combinations to 160 animals in each treatment group. Cattle given S + BP had higher (P<.001) gains than those given the C and S treatments (96.4 vs 82.7 and 79.4 kg, respectively). There was a significant advantage for each trace mineral-treated group over the nontreted group. Males had greater (P<.001) gains than females (88.8 vs 83.5 kg). Analyses were made of nonfertilized, native forages and blood and liver (biopsy) samples taken during June (dry season) and November (wet season). The majority of soil (<5 ppm P) and forage (<.25% P) analyses indicated inadequacy in relation to requirements. Forage Mg (<.20%), Na (<.06%), Cu (<10 ppm) and Zn (<30 ppm) concentrations were deficient during both seasons, while protein (<7.0%) and K (<.60%) were low only during the dry season. Forage Se was less than .1 ppm in 33% of the samples in June. Three-fourths of liver samples were low in Cu, with tissue Zn and Mg concentrations generally reflecting low forage levels of these elements. On the basis of forage, liver and blood serum analyses, deficiencies of Ca, Fe, Co and Mn, or toxicity of Mo, are unlikely. Copyright © 1982. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1982 by American Society of Animal Science

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