Learn the right information on nutrient requirements of beef cattle when raising beef cattle correctly whether you are a beginner or an experience cattle owner
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Top 3 Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle You Need To Know
1. Top 3 Nutrient Requirements of
Beef Cattle You Need To Know
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Nutrient requirements of beef cattle vary from other livestock because cows
belong to a class of animals called ruminant, which also includes goats,
sheep, and, deer. A ruminant is an animal whose digestive system allows
itself to process rough grass, which is its major source of nutrients and
sustenance. Animals that belong to this class have high stomach capacity
that can contain up to 50 gallons of food.
2. The digestive tract of a ruminant has a rumen, a sac that is filled with fluid
and microbes. These microbes are made up of bacteria and single-celled
organisms called protozoa that digest the roughage. When a cow eats, it
first swallows the food with minimal chewing, stores the hay in its digestive
system then later on regurgitate it for chewing to breakdown the mineral
components of the food.
Protein
Since cows provide meat that is a rich source of protein for man, it is fairly
obvious that nutrient requirements of beef cattle include protein. Protein is
one of the major building blocks of the body and is usually measured in
terms of what is called crude protein or CP.
If you are raising cattle for the purposes of providing meat, you need to
capitalize on protein as the main component of your cattle’s nutrition. For a
matured cow that weighs about 900 pounds, the crude protein should be at
7.0%. The CP proportion to a cow’s weight is inversed and this means that
the heavier the cow, the lesser crude protein percentage is needed.
Minerals
Nutrient requirements of beef cattle also include minerals that can help aid
in reproduction, bone formation, and growth. What cows need are large
amounts of macro minerals that include salt, magnesium, potassium,
calcium, and phosphorus. Micro minerals are also essential to your cattle’s
development. Examples of trace minerals are zinc, copper, selenium, and
sulfur. Minerals are bought and mixed to our cattle’s ratio because this
ensures that the cows get the dietary requirement daily. They will not get
this naturally by eating hay. Without adequate minerals, your cattle may
suffer from the following:
3. • Bowed leg bones
• Brittle bones, poor growth
• Poor fertility rate
• Convulsions
• Muscle tremors
• Weakness
• Inability to stand
Vitamins
Nutrient requirements of beef cattle also include vitamins. The most
needed vitamins for cattle are Vitamins A, D, and E. Contrary to minerals,
vitamins are taken from good forage or hay. Well preserved forage contains
high dosages of vitamins but they diminish overtime so it is very important
that you have fresh sources of hay everyday.
Muscle mass dictates how lean your cows will be so this is a critical
component of nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Vitamin A is important
for growth and eye clarity. It is also an important component of
reproduction and physical maintenance. Lack of vitamin A can result to low
fertility rate and will significantly affect calf reproduction. Vitamin D, on
the hand, is needed for the development of strong bones. Weak cows make
poor meat quality and are susceptible to brittle bones, resulting to early
death. Lastly, vitamin E is perhaps the most important because it is an
essential component to muscle development.
Click Here To Speed Up Your Learning Curve On Raising Beef
Cattle The Right Way and Avoid Wasting More Time!