This document discusses the importance of proper mineral and vitamin nutrition for cattle reproduction. It provides recommendations for calcium, phosphorus, and other mineral requirements for cattle based on body weight and production level. It also discusses the roles that various minerals and vitamins play in reproduction, such as selenium supporting spermatogenesis and vitamin A supporting embryo development. Deficiencies in certain minerals can lead to issues like retained placentas and lower conception rates. The document also provides information on mineral sources and levels found in common Indian feeds and fodders.

2. Presented By
Abhishek sharma
Department of Animal Nutrition
College of Veterinary and Animal Science,Navania,Vallabnagar

5. Low energy intake during late pregnancy can result in following:-
1. Slightly lowered birth weights.
2. Higher death rates in new born calves.
3. Lower milk production.
4. Increased days to first heat.
5. Reduced conception rates.

6. Body weight(kg) ME(MCal)
400 14.1
450 15.9
500 17.3
550 18.8
S K RANJHAN

8. Excess protein fed (> 10-15 % above requirement)
 blood urea  toxic effect on sperm, ova and embryo
 Protein feeding
Early lactation : 16%
Late lactation : 12%
LOW PROTEIN INTAKE
REDUCED FEED INTAKE
Figure –low protein intake results in reduced feed intake which,in turn results in
lower dietary protein

9. Body weight (Kg) DCP (g)
400 350
450 400
500 430
550 456
S K RANJAN

10. Fatty acids and cholesterol are substrate for hormone
synthesis
 Fat in diet   Steroid hormone
High P4 level during luteal phase  maintan the
pregnancy
Increased follicular growth
more small and medium follicles
 lifespan of CL

12. 1. Carbon
2. Hydrogen
3. Oxygen
4. Nitrogen
• Essential element-
1. Macro ( Ca, Mg, Na , K, P , Cl , S )
2. Micro- (Mn, Fe, Cu ,I ,Zn ,Co , Mo ,Se Cr, Sn , F
, Ni , Se )
• Possibly essential elements -(As , Ba , Br ,
Cd , Sr ,)
• Potentially toxic elements-(Cu ,Mo, Se, As ,
Cd , F , Hg ,Si)
• Nonessential elements –(Al , Sb , Bi , Ag , Hg
, Au)

14. • Important for all physiological processes including
reproduction.
•Mineral deficiencies & imbalances causes of poor
reproduction.
•Excessive intake : harmful

15. •Muscle Contraction
•Required for milk production & Skeletal Formation
•From mid to late pregnancy, a bred cow’s requirement for Ca increase by
22 percent and after calving by an additional 40%.
•The ration containing 0.75 to 0.80 percent calcium on dry matter basis
should be provided to high producing cows.
Deficiency
Milk fever, Uterine Prolapse & Retained Placenta
Low Growth of Heifers
milk yield reduced and fertility suffer
Impaired Uterine involution

16. •Usually considered along with Ca as most important major
mineral
•Ca : P ratio of about 2:1 (1.5: 1 – 2.5: 1) is desirable
•Deficiency
•Infertility
•Reduced Growth & Milk Yield
•Loss of Reproductive Performance
•Delayed Heat
•Weak Heat
•Poor conception rate

17.  Important for normal spermatogenesis.
 It serves as a powerful antioxidant protecting cells from oxidative stress.
 Marginally selenium deficient animals will abort, or calves will be weak and unable to stand
or suckle.
 Selenium supplementation reduces the incidence of retained placentas, cystic ovaries,
mastitis and metritis , poor uterine involution, and weak or silent heats.
 In males, selenium supplementation has been shown to increase semen quality.
 Symptoms of chronic selenium toxicity include lameness, sore feet, deformed claws and
loss of hairs from tail. In pregnant animals, selenium toxicity will produce abortions,
stillbirth and weak and lethargic calves .

 Diets should contain at least 0.1 ppm selenium on a dry matter basis.

18. •An essential component of over 200 enzyme systems.
•Essential for proper sexual maturity, reproductive capacity ,and more specifically,
onset of estrus.
•Zinc has a critical role in the repair and maintenance of the uterine lining following
parturition, speeding return to normal reproductive function and estrus.
•In bulls deficiency results in poor semen quality and reduced testicular size and
libido.
•Zinc supplementation increased mean ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, percent
live and percent motility.
•Seminal zinc levels were lower for infertile male than fertile male .
•Zinc is a component of enzyme ‘Thymidine kinase ’which is required
For spermetogenesis.

19. • A necessary component o f number of enzymes.
•Proper copper supplementation of the sire is needed for production of quality semen.
•Deficiency
•
• Inhibited conception rate
•Early embryonic death, increased retained placentas and necrosis of the placenta.
•Weak and silent heats .

20. •An activator of enzyme systems in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fats,
protein and nucleic acids.
• A vital role in reproduction as necessary for cholesterol synthesis which in
turn is required for synthesis of the steroids, estrogen, progesterone and
testosterone.
•
•Insufficient steroid production results in decreased circulating concentrations
of these reproductive hormones resulting in abnormal sperm in males and
irregular estrus cycles in females.
•The corpus luteum has high manganese content and may be affected by level
of manganese supplementation.
•Vaginal manganese concentration is higher in cycling than in anoestrous
ruminants.
•A deficiency in manganese may be associated with suppression of estrus,
cyclic ovaries and reduced conception rate.

21. •Needed for proper vitamin B12 synthesis.
•Deficiency
• Reduced fertility and sub-optimal conditioning of the
offspring.
• Inadequate cobalt levels in the diet have been correlated with
increased early calf mortality.
• A cobalt deficiency ultimately results in a vitamin B12
deficiency. Manganese, zinc, iodine may reduce cobalt
deficiency.
•Required dietary content of cobalt for dairy cattle is 0.11ppm

22.  Required for synthesis of thyroid hormone, thyroxin, which regulates
the rate of metabolism.
• Inadequate thyroid function reduces conception rate and ovarian
activity
• Suppressed estrus, abortions, still births, increased frequency of
retained placentas and extended gestation periods.
• Impair corpus luteum (yellow body) development and increase the
incidence of anestrous in heifers.
• Cows must consume 15-20 mg of iodine each day.

23. • Potentiates insulin action, resulting in increased uptake of glucose and amino acids
by cells in the body.
• A chromium deficiency in lactating cows may result in increased incidence of
ketosis and decreased milk production.
• Improved energy balance in early lactation may improve reproduction.
•:-
• Maintain the efficiency of digestion and indirectly the reproduction performance of
cows.
• Sodium and chloride normally do not appear in feedstuffs in adequate amounts to
meet animal requirements and should be provided free choice at all times

24. Minerals Requirement Sources
calcium cattle
For maintenance 14 g/day
Per kg milk production 2.3 g.
Bone meal, meat meal, fish meal and poultry
by-product, etc.
Dicalcium phosphate.
Lime stone
Oyster shell
Green leafy vegetables specially legumes.
phosphorus Cattle
For maintenance 14g/day
Per kg milk production 2.0 g.
Bone meal
Dicalcium phosphate
Defluorinated phosphate
Diammonium phosphate
Grains, grain by product, oil cake and brans.
magnesium Cattle
5g/ 100 kg live weight or upto 0.5% of
the dry matter intake
Green fodders
Pericarp of cereal grains
Brans
Cotton seed and linseed cake
Magnesium oxide.
sodium Cattle : 0.5% or 21.3 g/day Foods of marine origin are richer sources
Common salt or NaCl
potassium Cattle : 0.2% of dry ration Plants contain very high potassium content
(above 2.5% on dry matter basis)
Chlorine sulphur Cattle : 0.2% on dry matter basis in the
diet
Protein rich feed and fodder
Sodium sulphate

25. Minerals Requirement Sources
Iron Cattle : 500 mg/day each 400 kg
live weight
Green leafy materials
Leguminous plants and seed coats are
excellent sources.
Zinc Cattle : 9 mg/day ration Wheat standard middlings are richer
sources
Zinc salt as Zinc chloride
Molasses
Fish meal and yeast
copper Cattle : 5-7 mg/kg ration Liver and glandular meal
Dried whey, peanut meal, cotton
cobalt Cattle : 0.05-0.07 mg/kg ration Legumes are richer source
Liver meal
Cobalt oxide
Iodine Livestock : 0.1 mg/kg ration Foods of marine origin
Common animal feeds and molasses
Fish meal, meat and bone meal
Synthetic iodized salt and Na or K iodide
Manganese Cattle : 16-25 mg/kg ration Whole rice
Most green feed contain adequate amount

26. Maintenance Purpose Maintenance +
Pregnancy
( Last two months)
Per kg of milk yield
Body
weight
(kg)
Ca
(g)
P
(g)
Ca
(g)
% fat Ca
(g)
P
(g)
250 10 9 14 3 2.5 1.8
300 12 10 16 4 2.7 2.0
350 14 11 21 5 2.9 2.2
400 17 13 23 6 3.1 2.4
450 18 14 16 7 3.3 2.6
500 20 15 29 8 3.5 2.8
550 21 16 31 9 3.7 2.0
600 22 17 34 10 3.9 3.9
650 23 18 36 11 4.1 3.4
700 25 19 39 12 4.3 3.6
750 26 20 42 - - -
800 27 21 44 - - -

27. Bis specifications for mineral mixtures containing salt (type i) and without salt (type ii) for
supplementing cattle feeds
S.No. Characteristics Type I Type II
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Moisture, per cent by mass, Max
Calcium, per cent by mass, Min
Phosphorus, per cent by mass, Min
Magnesium, per cent by mass, Min
Salt(chlorine as sodium chloride) per cent by mass, Min
Iron, per cent by mass, Min
Iodine (as KI), per cent by mass, Min
Copper, per per cent by mass, Min
Manganese, per cent by mass, Min
Cobalt, per cent by mass, Min
Fluorine, per cent by mass, Max
Zinc, per cent by mass, Min
Sulphur, per cent by mass, Max
Acid insoluble ash, per cent by mass, Max
5
18
9
5
22
0.4
0.02
0.06
0.1
0.009
0.05
0.3
0.4
3
5
23
12
6.5
-
0.5
0.026
0.077
0.12
0.012
0.07
0.38
0.5
2.5

28. Mineral Element in Indian Feeds, Fodders&byproduct
(on dry matter basis)
Calcium % Phosphorus
%
Manganese
%
Copper %
Maize yellow
Barley
Oats
Jowar
Wheat
Linseed meal
Soyabean meal
Seasame meal
Wheat bran
Fish meal
Meat meal
Bone meal
Dia calcium phosphate
Ground lime stone
0.02
0.08
0.09
0.03
0.05
0.39
0.23
2.00
0.12
5.0
9.85
29.0
28.0
38.0
0.26
0.38
0.39
0.30
0.39
0.88
0.64
1.60
1.25
3.3
4.5
14.0
18.0
-
2.3
7.8
19.2
7.5
8.2
19.1
-
-
56.0
10.1
5.4
-
-
-
0.9
5.0
2.4
3.0
3.5
11.8
-
-
4.5
3.9
3.7
-
-
-

29. Plants Calcium
Guinea grass
Alfa-alfa hay
Dub grass
Sudan grass
Madhana
Pangola grass
Kahi
Sewan grass
Legumes
Legume grass
Cereal hay
Grains
Kochia
0.62
1.20
0.36
0.35
0.87
0.25
0.47
0.81
1.56
1.15
0.37
0.09
0.80
Calcium content of some grasses and feed stuffs
(%DM basis)

30. • Vitamin A fulfils Various functions in the Body, the most
important being its involvement in vision, embryo
development, Reproduction, differentiation of mammary
Gland cells
• Vitamin A deficiency in gestating cows leads to an increase
in the incidence of abortions, retained placentas, and
increased calf morbidity and mortality rates as well as a
reduction in fertility
Beta Carotenes
•The corpus Luteum of cows is very rich in Beta carotenes,
which suggests a possible function in the synthesis of
progesterone.

31. • An increase in fertility & decrease in service per Conception when rations with Sufficient
Vitamin A were supplemented with 300mg/day of Beta carotene, Reduction in early Embryonic
death (7th week) were also observed.
• Cows Supplemented with Beta Carotene experienced more rapid Uterine Recovery; a shorter
interval from Parturition to first estrus; more intense estrus, a shorter interval from parturition to
conception a higher-Conception rate, and lower incidence of Follicular.
• Incidence of retained placentas fell from 41% in unsupplimented cows to 31% in those
supplemented with 300mg/day of beta carotenes, and to 25% with a supplementation of
600mg/day of Beta Carotenes, and the incidence of Metritis was reduced by 25%.
• Vitamin E decreased the incidence & severity of Metritis , Mastitis, and Retained Placentas
improving both reproductive functions & mammary Health.
• Vitamin E also plays important role in the transmission of cellular information.
• Vitamin D is required for the regulation of calcium metabolism and in the maintenance of
correct calcium levels in the blood.
• Recommended rates of vitamin E intake based on gestation stage: —1.8 IU/kg body
wt.

32. Physiological functions:
 Vitamin A Reproductive performance: -
 there is a specific interference with reproduction caused by the altered epithelium.
• Reproductive performance is impaired in both the male and female.
• The male usually shows a decline in sexual activity, decreased number of spermatozoa with a
marked decrease in motility, and the appearance of abnormal forms. In the female, estrus is
disturbed.
• If the deficiency is severe, abortion or birth of dead, weak or abnormal offspring may occur.
• Deficiency of vitamin E results in immotility of spermatozoa and degeneration of the
germinal epithelium.

33. Body weight (kg0 Carotene (mg ) Vitamin-A ( 100 IU)
400 76 30
450 86 34
500 95 38
550 105 42
S K RANJAN

34. Sources of vitamins
Vitamin A: Yellow maize, carrots, greens are rich sources.
Vitamin E: Cereals, wheat germ, oil seeds, green leaves are
rich sources. Young green grass is a better source than mature
fodder.
The leaves contain 20-30 times as much vitamin E as the
stems.
Alfalfa meal is a rich source of tocopherol .